Growth: God’s Perspective
By Mike Rule

I was recently writing about Christian Growth, and I wanted to share some excerpts from what I wrote with you this week. Growth can often be misunderstood and interpreted as becoming something. But when I refer to growth, I am talking about growing in the revelation of being a "one as." I am one with Him as He is one with the Father, et al - a one as. I have many parts that rebel against each other, and usually my emotions are the worst part of me. It has been a real blow to me to discover that I am human. J I think of believers as it as a hybrid being, we walk in two worlds at once. The spirit world and the flesh world over lap in a place called the kingdom of heaven. That is a present reality to all human beings, not an "out there someday." But the good news is that my emotions - as tormenting as they can be, are REMINDING me, by contrast, of my TRUE condition. In other words, I would not know love if I did not FEEL unlovable. I would not know acceptance if I never felt rejection. I would not know hope if I never felt hopeless. I would not know trust, if I never knew betrayal. I would never be able to express faith if all I ever did was “see” with confidence. So my flesh (especially negative emotion) is my best friend because by contrast it is always reminding me of my TRUE condition - Jesus. This flesh self is a delusion and it is the "self" to be denied that Jesus talks about in scripture.

So when I talk about growth, I am not talking about becoming something, I am referring to growing in the awareness of the kingdom reality - the awareness of my true condition. In other words an oak tree an inch tall is no less an oak than one 30 feet tall. The size of the oak does NOT matter. Being an oak is what does! An oak is an oak is an oak no matter what it looks like.

I have a camcorder that I have owned for 17 years. It has more features than I have ever tapped into, or than I could ever understand. But just because I do not understand it, does not mean that it is not mine. I have just not yet mined the riches of what it is that I already have. So it is with us in Christ. I am not becoming anything; Christ is becoming EVERYTHING to me, especially when those emotions are going walkabout.

Yesterday my emotions were playing with me in a very tangible way. I was returning from an exhausting week of ministry and travel and I always keep a journal of my experiences for those who support us in ministry. Let me share a bit from my journal with you...

The train was late leaving Chicago by nearly one hour. We are currently about 1 ½ hours behind schedule, but that is normal for Amtrak, and I don’t mind. The only place I have to be tonight is in bed. I was quite surprised when I came out to the train and discovered that we were riding in Super-Liner cars. These are the cars that are usually reserved for transcontinental trains, and much nicer than the commuter cars that are usually on this train. They are a lot taller (two levels) and a lot more luxurious. It has been a wonderful trip, and I almost hate to stop riding!

I was very disoriented when I got on the train because I forgot which side of the train I boarded on. Then when you go from the lower level to the upper level (there are no seats on the lower level) the stairway twists you around. I was talking on the phone when the train began to pull out, and I could have sworn we were headed west. I was SO disoriented that for a moment I panicked and thought I was on the wrong train. It was a visible reminder of what happens to us when our emotions take over – all rational thought goes out the window. I KNEW I was on the right train because I personally know the two conductors on this train from all my years of travel. They were standing right outside the car and greeted me by name when I walked up. They directed me to the right door on the coach to enter for the trip. As the emotions subsided it all began to come back to me - but in the moment, I panicked. Talk about feeling stupid… but I still was disoriented by the direction for quite a while before I realized we actually WERE headed east and not west. I was the one who was confused; the train crew knew exactly what they were doing.

Sounds a lot like our walks with God, huh? We make assumptions about things, and when God moves in a direction we don’t expect, we get all out of sorts, doubt him, doubt ourselves, etc. Thank God that He knows what He is doing.

We do this in relationships, in circumstances, in all of life. We expect one thing, and God heads a different way, takes a different turn. My mate behaves in a way I don't expect, don't like. My kids do things that frustrate me, my finances don't go the way I want, the medical test comes back and it is terminal. All of life is an experience with Jesus in which we learn to accept His way, and not ours. Our fleshy emotions don't LIKE that. Then the enemy comes in and accuses us of being a mess by pointing out others who so seemingly have it all together. What a pile of garbage he tries to feed us. There is NO difference in people. There are no great men of God, only weak ones with a great God.

This is what growth really is. It is coming to accept God’s reality over the fleshly reality. It is coming to accept what really is for the illusion I walk in everyday. It is coming to believe He that is in me over the me that is in the world! Growth is not an elevation, it is a revelation. Growth happens in my experiential daily life as I walk more according to the unseen than the seen. This is a work God does in me and in you. He is the author and finisher of our faith! Praise God that it centers in Him and not on us! Amen???

(Some of you have asked about how you can support us in our ministry. There are several ways so please feel free to check out the Support Page on our Website to learn more. Thanks! - Mike)