When a couple has their first baby, that child is perfect. All the way from its pointed head to its scrawny toes.

Whether that child is three or eight they are perfect and completely accepted in the parents eyes. The neighbors might have a different opinion but to the parents they are the best.

This represents our Christianity. We are to come to God just as we are. He loves us just as we are with all our imperfections.

The problem I see is that too many folks are content to use that as a justification to ‘stay’ just as they are. ‘Well God loves me as I am, right?’ Yes, he does. But in his perfect infinite father-ness he wants you to continue to grow up and grow healthy and strong to face the world as an adult.

Is that not the ultimate chore of every parent? To equip the child from birth how to be independent? While our dependency should be on God and him alone the chore is for us to learn that dependency in its fullness.

This creates a huge problem because man in himself wants to rule and reign. He wants to dominate and not be dominated. That directly opposes Christianity because we can choose to let God have us or we can have us. He will let us decide our fate and let us live in our muck and mire that we create.

I know a young couple that has a 5-month-old girl. They watch her every move. They know what teeth are popping through and how she rocks to try to crawl and how she eats and what she likes or does not like. She is a constant growth. You can see the changes almost from day to day.

If our Christianity isn’t a constant growth then is it stagnant or simply dead? The growth should be visible.

There are plenty of scriptures that speak of the fruit and growth. The one I chose is John 15:8, Herein is my Father glorified, that you bear much fruit; so shall you be my disciples.

As Christians, we should be bearing much fruit- it glorifies the Father. If one were not bearing much fruit would it be necessary to say that their life is not glorifying the Father? And I would want to know why someone that chooses to go by the name of Christian wouldn’t want to be glorifying God? Is that not our eternal purpose? If we can’t do it on earth then can we fathom an eternity doing it?

Golly gee I have so many questions! It will be a sad day for sure for a whole lot of these folks that think they are ‘Christians’ and think they are ‘ok’ in God’s book because God is a God of love and loves them no matter what. A sad day for certain.

Pray with me for their eyes to be opened and their ears to hear. For their hearts to be softened to the truth. We all know people like this. They might be in your direct lives. It may be you. Pray for mercy and repent before a holy God that is as an old lover tossed to the side just waiting eagerly and patiently for you to come back.