Outgrown

A devotional to kick off your week

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.

Ephesians 4:15

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A little over four years ago, my family moved out of the house I was certain was our “forever home.” An adorable 1920s bungalow, it was within walking distance to our quaint downtown. My husband and I bought it a year after we got married. We had made updates and upgrades over the fifteen years we lived there. But then an unexpected change came: a baby who we’d go on to foster and adopt.

Our future suddenly looked very different than the one we’d imagined. The floor plan we’d loved fit our family of three, but with four of us, we’d outgrown our house. Within a few months, we packed up and moved to a much larger space. I still miss our old place, but I’m thankful for the new. It’s given each of us room to grow and thrive.

Faith that survives outgrows things.

Sometimes we expect to outgrow things, for example, we count on buying new shoes for our kids and new pots for our rootbound plants. But other times, growth catches us off guard. I’ve found this especially true in faith settings. Church people are often resistant to the idea of outgrowing certain rhythms. We’re all about outgrowing childish ways and habits. But when it comes to other aspects and commitments, we aren’t open to changing. We confuse this with standing firm and not forsaking one another.

Yet sometimes, admitting we’ve outgrown something is exactly what we need. Maybe a different style of worship will help us connect with God, or a fresh way of serving will get us involved in community. Perhaps we view sacraments in a new light thanks to careful study, or maybe we need to explore a new way to pray.

Our faith will become stale and stagnant when we fail to recognize what we’re outgrowing. Remember: God is active, and as we follow Him, we can count on shifts. Growth and change are signs of health and maturity. Although outgrowing things we love can be hard, even painful at times, we will thrive when we trust that what we’re growing into can be just as special as what we’re leaving behind.

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Breath Prayer

Inhale: Show me what…

Exhale: … I’ve outgrown.

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