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Growing up in the faith 

By Joe Ajaefobi
03 January 2021   |   4:02 am
I was once told a story about a little boy who fell from his bed. The mum asked him what made him to fall.

Ajaefobi

I was once told a story about a little boy who fell from his bed. The mum asked him what made him to fall. The boy cleverly answered: ‘I guess I stayed too close to where I got in.’ Of course, a boy sleeping at the edge of the bed has about 50 per cent chances of falling from the bed. Let’s apply this lesson to our faith in Christ. It looks like many of us are still at the entrance point in our faith in God and in our personal relationship with Christ. The inertia or the tendency to remain where we are or reluctance to make a move is always there. But God wants us to overcome every inertial force and grow continuously in our faith. We are encouraged to leave the elementary teachings of Christ and go on to maturity (Hebrews 6:1). To ensure we are growing, simple self-assessment exercises are needed. The Bible encourages us to ‘examine ourselves.’ To practically do so, pick a time in the near past, say two years back and then ask yourself such questions as:

• How does my prayer life then compared with what it is now?
• How about my personal study of the Bible?
• How about my giving and stewardship?
• How about my joy of salvation?
• How about my readiness and expectations for the Lord’s return?
• How about my fellowship with other believers and loyalty to the church of Christ?
• How about my love for others and passion for those outside the fold?

If you are not increasing in the above parametres, then it is time to pause, reflect and take some actions. Let us not make the mistake of the little boy by staying on the edge. Do not stay too close to where you got in. It is risky resting on the edge. Go deeper in the Lord. Let Christ increase in you and let your old self decrease.

O God, open our eyes to see the need for us to grow in our faith and bring us nearer to where you want us to be. Amen!
The Venerable (Dr) Joe Ajaefobi is the Chaplain of Church of Nigeria Chaplaincy, UK.

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