December 18, 2008

The Child
Luke 2:52 (HCSB) And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and with people.

It is important for us to remember at this time of year, that Jesus did not remain as a baby in the manger, but rather grew up. He grew to be a child, a young man, and a man.
As He grew to be a child, we do not know a lot about his life, but we do know what the above verse tells us… He grew in wisdom and stature and in favor with God and people.
Wisdom - Jesus learned. I know that sounds weird, but He did. He grew in his ability to make wise choices. We also need to grow in wisdom.
Stature – Jesus grew physically. Well, most of us do! I think that this indicates that Jesus took care of himself. He was healthy. We too need to make sure we take care of the body god gives us.
Favor with God – Jesus grew in favor with God. His spiritual life was on track. Now we may be tempted to point to His divinity, but we need to remember that Jesus was fully human and was tempted in every way we are. He had the temptation to let his devotion to God slip. He did not. We need to keep our relationship with God in good standing!
Favor with people – Jesus grew in his relationships with people. He was not a monk who secluded himself from others. He had favor with people. We need to have good relationships with all people.

Questions for Discussion
How are your growing in:
Wisdom?
Stature?
Favor with God?
Favor with people?

Prayer
Dear God, help me to continually grow in wisdom, to take care of my physical growth, to grow closer to God and to grow in my relationships with people. Amen.

Song
“Good Christian Men, Rejoice”