Growing in Christian Character is important in our walk with God.

Peter said “but also for this very reason, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge, to knowledge self-control, to self-control perseverance, to perseverance godliness, to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness love.

“For if these things are yours and abound, you will be neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

From the time a baby is born, the parents are concerned with the child’s growth and maturity. At first, a baby can only drink milk, than gradually solid foods are added until eventually that child can eat meat.

If an infant is kept on milk past the time solid foods should have been added to their diet, the child will become anemic and sickly and a condition that doctors label as failure to thrive can develop. It is the same with the Christian life.

A new Christian will be content with milk for a time but they will begin to thrive only as they progress to solid food and then on to meat.

The problem is that many Christians fail to thrive because they are only drinking milk after years in the faith. The apostle Paul addressed this issue in 1 Corinthians when he spoke to the Christians in Corinth as “babes in Christ.”

Again in Hebrews, the scriptures confront spiritual immaturity. According to Peter, to escape the corruption of the world, we need to diligently seek Christ in to add some character traits to our faith so that we may partake of His divine nature.

In other words, we can grow up to be spiritually mature and “look like Jesus” by building on a firm foundation of faith.

A baby who does not have interaction with his mother during the first 24 months of life fails to come to healthy maturity.

A healthy relationship with the Lord builds a strong bond enabling that Christian to mature into a fruitful, productive and happy adult.

This relationship is developed by cultivating an environment conducive to growth, which includes spending time daily with the Lord through quiet time, prayer, reading and studying His word and worship.

Moses and Joshua set an example for us to follow in that they loved the presences of God. Jesus commanded us in Matthew 11:29 to “learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.”

The Lord invites us to an abundant life in Isaiah 55 when he says, “Listen carefully to Me, and eat what is good and let you soul delight itself in abundance. Incline your ear, and come to Me.

“Hear, and your soul shall live.”

A meditation on the excellence of the Word of God is found in Psalm 119: “Your word I have hidden in my heart, that I might not sin against you.”

As the Holy Spirit our teacher opens our eyes, the scripture begins to take root in our heart.

I encourage you to pray and ask God to bring friends into your path who are also desiring to be mature Christians.

May your life abound in the fruit of His Spirit and your very lives exhibit the character of Christ.