Devotional: Perpetual Growth

A person, an excellent minister, is in a continual state of development. Such a person is always aware that the journey of ministry is a long race that requires persistence in the pursuit of excellence. This person knows that there is always something new to learn, a character trait to improve, something new to read, a new skill to add. This is a person who is in a perpetual state of growth, in a continual state of self-improvement and improvement in his or her performance in Christian service.

When I say that, I see in my mind an arrow traveling perpetually through the heavens toward a target so distant that it cannot even be seen, and the arrow will never reach its target. That is how the servant of God, whether man or woman, should be: always growing, always developing, always seeking a higher level of development, whether in the area of personal mastery and character development, overcoming flaws, increasing ministerial knowledge, or improving relationships with parishioners, colleagues, children, family, and so on.

In other words, it is a continual pursuit of improvement and personal growth, of becoming more and more like Jesus Christ and never thinking, “I have arrived.” In everything that defines excellence, the servant of God, whether woman or man, is always seeking ways to improve, ways to chip away one more little piece from that marble statue that is being sculpted and perfected, ways to make it reflect more and more precisely the likeness of Jesus Christ, who is the supreme model.

I enthusiastically subscribe to the words of the apostle Paul: “Brothers, I do not consider myself to have already attained it; but one thing I do: certainly forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal, toward the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 3:13 and 14).

Whether in full-time ministry or in any area of our service to the Lord, let us adopt an ethic of perpetual improvement. If we resolve to live the Christian life in this way, God will never tire of intervening on our behalf and sending His spiritual nutrients upon us so that we may become extraordinary servants who reflect the excellence of their heavenly Father.