THE SPIRITUAL GROWTH OF MEMBERS AND THE CHURCH (26)
DIMENSIONS OF GROWTH (18), GROWING IN CHRISTIAN SERVICE (3).
HINDRANCES TO GROWTH IN CHRISTIAN SERVICE (2).
Let love be without dissimulation. Abhor that which is evil; cleave to that which is good. 10 Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honour preferring one another; Romans 12:9-10
Love is one of the greatest tools of growth in any form of human relationship including animals. It is practically difficult to exist without it. But when it is used as a guise to achieve selfish aims, then it can be very destructive and disastrous. Incidentally, it is one of the easiest deceptive ways that can be deployed to infuse and inflict pains on others thus negating the growth pattern.
Below are examples of wrong usage of love to the detriment of growth in Christian Service.
a) If your faith can move mountains, and you equally have the gift of miracles backed with the best of tongues in this contemporary Christian world and in the midst of all these spiritual achievements love is missing, you will not go far. Prov. 10:12; 1 Cor. 13:1-13.
b) The subtle seed of hatred for whatever cause is a killer disease that attacks love from its roots ensuring that its cancerous effect is noticeable in no distant time. When it happens amongst couples, every good deed is seen in bad light. 1Sam 18:21-29; 2 Sam 20:9-10; Ps 55:12-14.
c) Common ingredients in the church and families that act as recipes for diluting love to its non functional state are gossiping, murmuring, slandering, backbiting, telling others “you too do’ instead of commending the grace of God operating in them etc. Their aim is to tear down spiritually prosperous brethren thereby weakening their hands and ultimately distorting growth. Prov. 26:25-28; Acts 15:1-2; Rom 16:17; Gal 2:1-5; Rev. 2:14-15.
d) Systematic erosion of the fundamental spiritual principles on which you were built upon. Eph 2:18-20.
These include though not limited to
i) Renewed love for the world. Gal 2:18; 1 John 2:15
ii) Strong allurement, amusement and sentiments that clearly negate God’s word. Acts 15:36-40; 1 Tim 1:18-20.
iii) Spiritual kwashiorkor and stuntedness. Heb 5:11-14; 6:1; 1 Pet 2:1-2
iv) Wrong association. 1 Cor. 15:33; 2Cor. 6:14-17; 7:1; 2 Tim 3:12-17.
v) When service becomes a burden and the restlessness for missing your duty post no longer attracts tears as it used to in the days of yore. Rev. 2:4
vi) When prayer is a struggle, Bible study is very stressful and church attendance is now replaced by resting period. It indicates that your first love is gone and you are either quarter to go back to the world or you are already there. Even angels will fear your forbidden strength. Ps 119:105; 122:1; Luke 18:1
+234903222664