The other day at the gym, a woman walked up to me and said, “Your arms are so big. How long have you been doing this?” I told her 13 years. She started counting on her fingers, tilting her head back and forth, then proudly announced that she’d been at it for eight years. “But my arms are small. And I like small.” I wasn’t quite sure how to take that. Was it a micro-aggression demeaning my body? Or was it a genuine observation, paired with an honest preference for a different look? I have no clue. But I do know this: my goal is to grow.
I have not spent 13 years in the gym working to stay small. I don’t push through workouts, sore muscles, and the temptation to quit just so that nothing changes. Every rep, every set, every year of consistency all led toward growth. That’s the whole point. So the more I thought about it, the more I realized that for me, it’s about more than my arms. Why do I spend time in God’s Word? Is it just to maintain the same level of spiritual comfort? Or is it to grow? To let His Word stretch me, challenge me, and shape me into something more than I was yesterday?
we are to grow up in every way into Him who is the head, into Christ Ephesians 4:15 ESV
Grow Up In Every Way
The truth is, you can go through the motions of a spiritual life and stay exactly the same size. You can show up, check the quiet time box, and walk away untouched. But that’s not what God’s Word is for. It’s not a maintenance routine; it’s a growth plan. We are to grow in faith, in grace, in love, in wisdom, in understanding, to name a few. In every way possible, we should be growing.
So here’s the question worth sitting with today: Are you in the Word to stay comfortable? Or are you in it to grow? To be clear, there’s nothing wrong with where you are right now. But there is something worth examining if you’ve been at this for years and nothing has changed. God is calling us to transformation. Don’t settle for small, dear one. Keep growing up in every way.
*For those of you who prayer walk, take time to ponder the phrase, ‘Grow up in every way.’ For your copy of this week’s screensaver, click here. And to access all of my YouVersion Bible App devotional plans, click here.