Luke 2:52 KJV
And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature,
and in favour with God and man.
Several
years ago now I accepted this passage as a challenge from God's Word concerning
the areas I ought to grow. Using the tri part nature of man: body, soul and
spirit, as identified in Luke 2:52, I began consciously cultivating my personal
life in these three areas:
I. BODY
The
body is that part of our being that responds to our world and its surroundings.
It is the only one of the three parts of the saved man that has not been
redeemed as of yet. It awaits its redemption at the resurrection. My spirit is
in constant strife with my flesh. The following are those areas I have targeted
for personal growth.
A.
Humility
Meekness of Moses
Exercising contemplation when we are humbled
or humiliated by someone or something. Allowing that event to be a
learning opportunity in our life.
B.
Confession
Awareness of sin
Acknowledge that before God
C.
Discipline
In what is eaten
In exercise
In work
II. SOUL
I
identified this as that part of man which responds to others. Based on that
assumption I put together these areas to target for personal growth.
A.
Education
Rhetoric
The art of communication in a convincing manner.
Logic
The ability to see an event, hear a verbal communication or
read a paper and come to accurate conclusions is a skill that must be developed
Language
Learning the rules of our language well is essential in
communication.
B.
Accountability
Manners
This speaks to how others perceive you.
Attitude
This speaks to how you perceive the events of life
Personal Growth and development
This speaks to commitment to your relationships with others
C.
Generosity
Ministry to others
Whether it is spiritual or by meeting a real
need of another soul
Concern for others
Thoughtfulness. Being aware of another's place
in life; their feelings, their preferences, their background, their special
days such as birthdays and anniversaries, their strengths and their weaknesses
Communication with others
More than awareness, communication reaches
out. If it is a birthday, an expression given toward them. If it is the
anniversary of the passing of a loved one, a condolence. etc
III. SPIRIT
This
is the part of man that communes with God. It is dead prior to salvation but is
quickened at the moment of salvation. While my targets here might seem smaller
than the other two, this in fact is the most critical of my personal growth
plan.
A.
Prayer
Journal
List and log of requests and answers
B.
Bible comprehension and practice
Daily reading
Daily study
Daily meditation
C.
Church
Faithfulness in attendance
Participation and interaction with the
people and the flow of the services
Service purposeful ministry within the
church
Outreach planned efforts to take the
gospel message to others outside of the church through visitation, tract
distribution, personal invitations, door to door ministry
While
I cannot say that I have attained even a modest degree of perfection in any of
these areas, I can testify to faithfully working toward these growth targets
and to being blessed by the doing of it.
Marvin McKenzie
In the field
