BUILDING CAPACITY FOR GROWTH & STABILITY
(Isaiah 54:2; Luke 2:52)
Cheers to the sixth month of the year! I welcome you and all yours to June. Our theme for the month is “Building Capacity for Growth and Stability’. Growth is an expected occurrence; it is one of the basic characteristics of all living things. Therefore, not growing is a cause for concern, but even more worrisome is lack of capacity for the growth one is set to experience. The Bible tells us that Jesus grew. But in what regard? “...in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and man” (Lk 2:52). Also, Isaiah 54:2 says, “Enlarge the place of thy tent and let them stretch forth the curtains of thine habitations: spare not, lengthen thy cords, and strengthen thy stakes.” Therefore, enlarging your capacity for growth is not an option, but a Scriptural command. And we know that great opportunities and blessings open to us when we obey God’s Word. Therefore, as we reflect on where we are in life, and what we feel led to accomplish, we must trust God for and intentionally work towards enlargement, expansion and growth in every facet of life. However, it is one thing to grow, it is a completely different thing to develop capacity for growth, and most of the time, growth and stability are two sides of a coin.
Growth is responsibility; growth is work (Lk 12:48b). For every aspect of growth in every person’s life, especially as a believer, it is expedient that one experiences balanced growth so that there is no shortcoming. Balanced growth coupled with great character, bring about stability. In 3 Jn 2, God’s desire for us to experience this balanced growth is revealed - “I wish above all things that you prosper and be in health even as thy soul prospers.” In other words, it would be detrimental to experience a level of financial growth if we have not built capacity in our soul to handle such level of financial responsibility. You see, glory is in weights, and with great power comes great responsibility. If one does not build capacity to handle certain responsibilities that come with growth, such an individual will collapse under the weight (Gal 4:1). Moreso, the one who has learnt how to be faithful with little will be faithful with much. Building spiritual capacity is very key to sustaining the growth experienced in the other areas of our lives. The blessing of God is ordained to make us rich and not cause sorrow. But when one fails to take responsibility to build capacity to accommodate that blessing, it becomes a problem.
Jesus said concerning marriage that not everyone is mature enough to live a married life because it requires certain aptitude and grace (Matt 19:11. MSG). To enjoy the blessings of marriage, one needs to have partnered with the Holy Spirit to build emotional capacity, learning to forebear, accommodate and be patient with people. The same applies to any form of social relation.
How then does one build capacity for growth? By taking responsibility. Read books, pray, stretch your spiritual muscles (Heb 5:11-14), learn and build skills, invest in personal development, exercise, eat right, rest well, be productively engaged, volunteer, fellowship and mingle, be faithful with little (Lk 16:11), be consistent, do the needful (1 Sam 10:7). David built the capacity to be a king by being faithful with his father’s sheep. He honed his skills by defending the flock, and by the time the opportunity came for national recognition, he was ready. Build mental capacity, learn new languages, be creative, have your mind renewed by the Word (Rom 12:2) - do not have the mind of a child in the body of an adult (1 Cor 13:11). Stretch your faith, believe for big things (Isa 60:5a).
Developing capacity for growth is equal to being mature; it is equal to having a strong base to support the weight put on by growth. A mature believer is someone who has the ability, the aptitude, the stamina and grace to handle whatever weight of responsibility that comes with growth. This is God’s ultimate plan for us as His children, to get to a point where we are mature and full grown in the Lord, measuring up to the full stature of Christ thus becoming well-rounded and balanced christians (Eph 4:13, NLT). Therefore, as we reflect on where we are in life, and what we feel led to accomplish, we must trust God for and intentionally work towards enlargement, expansion and growth in every facet of life.
In this series, we shall consider building capacity for spiritual growth, career success, marital stability, and resilience. Come along!