GROWING UP MEANS GROWING DOWN

Is everything going to turn out to be backwards?  To live we die?  To keep we give? To hold we release?

We strain to grow from child to adult to finally become big enough to take on big-people matters only to learn that true victory comes through surrender.  How many times am I expected to undo my training and relearn my learning?

John said he needed to decrease that Jesus might increase.  A mature adult becoming less is backward to my assumed gaining momentum by stronger and more productive self-assertion.  A leader in God's venue leads down regarding self.  He or she points upwardly, though, not to self but to Jesus.  This keeps us from getting in His way.

Maturity will not find us on the rise.  It will find us embedded in the glorious fade that Jesus may become the headliner of our personal walk.

We will never really grow up until we hit that mysterious kingdom zone where yielding, surrendering, and forfeiting become a way of life via relinquishing rather than retaining.

We seem to find ourselves often in defensive and protectionistic modes.  Our hearts wish to think of others first; yet self keeps jumping to the head of the line.

This is an ongoing battle for me.  I want to be noticed; yet when I am, I distract from Him.  My position is not to be as the Sun; but rather as the moon reflective of the Son.  Mine is not to be center stage; yet as a sign in the foyer pointing others to the One on center stage.

Growing up means growing down.  This....I believe....is going to be life-long work for I am very slow, indeed.