Walking in what I know, and searching for that which I don't. Growing to me is not just "giving what i can not keep in order to gain what i can not lose,"-- It's giving what HE deserves (which is what you say).
Yes bible study is good and worship is the bomb, but until we actually begin to "give that which we say we give" which is are true heart and then walk in faith... how can we expect to see God's glory? How true is our bible study?... and How true is our Worship?...
Do we learn scriptures to impress the world or do we worship to gain recognition and fame?
WE tell others we give our whole heart to God yet we put 99.9% of everything around us BEFORE HIM. Our songs ring out that "Our God is worthy of all our praise...", yet we give the gifts HE gave us to the world (money, time, musical ability, creativity, business sense, etc...) instead of standing up and living in HIS name and about HIM everywhere we go.
There are ministry's (including a ministry in which I help at Lamar University) where everyone pours out their song and holds up their hands to let everyone else in the auditorium hear about how much they thank God and How they want to reach this generation in and around Lamar, yet we cannot give our time, cooperation, money and/or prayer support to help us make a difference.
We want the world, yet "growing" to us is telling others " I am growing" yet lying to ourselves and to God. If you want to "grow exponentially in HIM you have to truly walk the walk. Like my Paw Paw Tew always said--"
say what you mean and mean what you say." I too was in this boat and then I decided that no matter what anyone else did I had to give God that which I promised and proclaimed and begin to find HIS true heart.
Through this I learned that I don't know everything-- AND THAT'S OK. But, I do strive everyday to be the man on the inside that I portray on the outside. Be real with God and be real with yourself.
It's harder because you have to look at that side of yourself that you don't really want to see...you know that side that we pretend doesn't exist. And we have to say "OK God my faith is weak in this area, and I don't think I understand this, and I apologize for not truly giving you this (whatever "this" might be for you), and I have let you down here, and I was being self involved in this area. But, by doing that we "truly take off the mask and begin to find growth in HIM!!"
At least that's what this Dawg thinks...
innerdawg
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