Monday Memo 1218: Growth is Not Optional
Purpose is not something you step into overnight. Just as an infant must grow into maturity, you too must grow into the fullness of the purpose God has designed for you. Peter described believers as newborn babies who must crave pure spiritual milk so that they may “grow up” in their salvation. Growth is not optional—it is the pathway to fulfilling your purpose.
Jesus illustrated this truth with the image of a vine and branches: “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing” (John 15:5). Fruitfulness is directly tied to spiritual growth. Branches do not instantly produce grapes—they grow, are pruned, and over time they yield fruit. Likewise, your purpose unfolds as you remain connected to Christ and allow Him to shape you. But the growth must lead to fruit or else it's a self-centered process that is all about you and not about other people.
Paul echoes this in Ephesians 4:15, writing, “Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ.” Growth is the process by which you become more like Jesus, and the more you reflect Him, the more you walk in the purpose for which you were created. Jesus is your role model and He did not attend "church" and stay out of trouble. He was a man of purpose.
But growth is not always easy. It requires stretching, pruning, and discipline—which is the reason many avoid it, settling for a life of predictability, safety, and routine. Hebrews 12:11 acknowledges, “No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.” God uses trials, challenges, and even delays as opportunities for growth. These seasons refine you so that your creativity, character, and purpose are not wasted on selfish ambition but devoted to His glory.
You must also understand that growth is not merely about personal improvement. It's about reconciliation and transformation. Colossians 3:9-10 reminds you that “You have taken off your old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator.” To grow is to be renewed into God’s original design—to have your creative purpose reconciled to and directed by Jesus.
When you resist growth, you stagnate and risk misdirecting the very gifts God has given you. But when you embrace growth, you step into a lifelong journey of becoming who God intended you to be. Your purpose becomes clearer, your creativity more fruitful, and your life more aligned with the good works He prepared for you.
Think of spiritual growth as the soil in which purpose flourishes. Without growth, purpose withers. With growth, purpose blossoms and multiplies. As Paul prayed for the Colossians:
We continually ask God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives, so that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God (Colossians 1:9–10).
Your growth is the pathway to your purpose. It's the fertilizer that helps produce more and more fruit for God's Kingdom. What are you doing to grow? Are you cooperating with the process? To help with that, move on to consider these questions and applications.
Reflection Questions
- What are some ways you have seen God use challenges to grow you into your purpose?
- How does the image of the vine and branches (John 15) reshape your understanding of spiritual growth?
- Where do you sense God calling you to embrace growth right now—even if it feels uncomfortable? And toward what end is this growth possibly directed?
Prayer
Father, thank You that You have designed me to grow into the fullness of Christ. Forgive me for the times I have resisted Your pruning or settled for comfort over growth. Help me to remain connected to Jesus, the true Vine, so that I may bear fruit in every season. May my life reflect Your purpose for me more each day. Amen.
Application
This week, meditate on John 15:1-8. Since fruit is always measurable, what is the fruit that God has assigned you to produce. For me, it's writing and publishing. For you it may be some other creative expression that involves food or working with your hands. Or it could be in the world of business or education. You get the idea. What tangible expressions of your creative purpose are unique to you?