Grow With Intentionality!

INSPIRE Devotionals With Emmanuel Afiawari Monday, January 20, 2025 Topic: GROW WITH INTENTIONALITY (Part 2)! Bible Text: 2 Peter 3:18; Luke 2:40‭, ‬52 2 Peter 3:18 NKJV 18. But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory both now and forever. Amen. Luke 2:40‭, ‬52 NKJV 40. And the Child grew and became strong in spirit, filled with wisdom; and the grace of God was upon Him. 52. And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men. INSPIRATION: When you grow with intentionality, you deepen your roots and broaden your scope. You become better equipped to weather the storms of life and produce enduring fruits in spite of your physical outcomes. Personal growth is to your advantage and advancement; it is the tool that positions you to shine gloriously. Growth develops your mind, prunes your emotions and transforms your spirit. Growth plays a dual function in our lives: it expands our possibilities, but shrinks spaces, places and lifestyles we've outgrown. This explains why you feel uneasy about certain things or places you used to love and enjoy. Growth imposes a huge demand of self-discipline on you. Until you pass its tests, you can't advance or access the glories on the other side. Luke records this about Jesus, "And the Child grew and became strong in spirit, filled with wisdom..." (Luke 2: 40). Until we grow, we cannot become strong. Strength is required to deal with the challenges of life. When you fail to grow, you'll fail and fall in the day of adversity (Prov. 24: 10). Luke says further, "...filled with wisdom; and the grace of God was upon Him." When you refuse to grow, there're aspects of your life that will not be "filled;" they'll remain void. This explains why most believers suffer unimaginable affliction because they left a vacuum to be filled. An offshoot of growth is the wisdom that comes with it; wisdom to make sound judgment, avoid pitfalls, and see beyond the surface. But when these vacuums are filled up with the right knowledge, grace is released upon us. This grace is the glory that makes us shine. TODAY'S TAKE HOME: Sit down, analyse and list out areas in your life where you need to grow urgently. Take the necessary steps towards your growth; be intentional about it. Ask the Holy Spirit to help you stay focused and disciplined as you pursue growth. PRAYER: Oh Lord, help me to take practical steps towards my growth. Cause my efforts to deepen my roots in personal growth, and may I be firmly rooted to bear good fruits as my glory becomes more visibly attractive, in Jesus name.