Good morning! One thing we enjoy doing – and by we I really mean Mer and I, not so much Josh LOL – is taking family walks together. Being outside enjoying God’s creation, conversation with one another, and a little bit of exercise is always a good time.
We do this as often as we can but not as often as we would like. But when we first started taking these walks Josh was a little younger and would always want to ride his bike or scooter. That was no issue, we really didn’t care how he stayed with us, as long as he was with us.
The other day I gave him a heads up that we were going to do a four mile walk on Sunday and he was like, “why Dad – do we have to?” And of course I was serious, so yesterday that is exactly what we did. This may have been one of the first times during our walks that we did not have to constantly tell him to keep up with us.
Surprisingly, he was actually ahead of us most of the time and didn’t complain for one second! It is so much fun to watch your kids grow, but it also takes a lot of work.
Yes, he is getting older and that is probably part of the reason, but another part is because Mer and I push him to do more than he thinks he can. Imagine if we allowed Josh to stop when things got hard, he would not experience any growth.
Growth often times requires perseverance through discipline or difficult situations. Think about people who lift weights – they put their body through strenuous repetitions to cause muscle growth.
The same is true if we want to see spiritual growth take place in our lives. We can’t give up on living for Jesus when things don’t go as we want them to. It is in those moments that we must stand firm in our faith and allow God to shape and mold us for His glory!
“No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.”
Hebrews 12:11
Let’s focus on spiritual disciplines that will cause growth to take place in our lives. Let’s begin to look at obstacles as opportunities! Growing is never easy, but worth all the sweat and every tear!
Heavenly Father, thank you for walking through the journey of life with us! It is so easy for us to want to give up when things get difficult. But if we give up, we miss out on the opportunity to grow! Help us to rely on Your strength and encouragement to keep growing! In Jesus Name – AMEN!
Be Transformed 