Researchers say parents in America spend an average of sixty dollars per month on baby clothing. That is a lot of money. If your child is going through a growth spurt, it can seem like the money is going down the drain fast. On the other hand, would you rather have your child stop growing?

It can be hard, especially for parents, to watch a child struggling to grow and develop properly. It's even more difficult, however, for our heavenly Father to watch us faltering spiritually. Paul grieved that the Corinthian believers weren't maturing spiritually: "I gave you milk, not solid food, for you were not yet ready for it. Indeed, you are still not ready" (1 Corinthians 3:2). Some of the signs of spiritual immaturity are jealousy and quarreling (1 Corinthians 3:3), being tossed around by false teaching (Ephesians 4:14), and failing to distinguish good from evil (Hebrews 5:14).

Committing your life to Christ may take just a moment, but spiritual growth is a lifelong process that takes place in cycles. As Peter puts it, we need faith, and then we grow in goodness, knowledge, self-control, perseverance, godliness, mutual affection, and love. As time goes on, believers grow toward maturity in each of these qualities.

Do you have that desire to grow?