Personal Growth - Luke 2:52Sample

Jesus grew in favor with man.

Have you ever noticed that the more time you spend with someone, the more you begin acting like that person? It could be a personal style, the way they talk, or even just a general preference but the fact is, our friends can have an involuntary impact on our lives. What we can control is whether that impact will be positive or negative.

It is often said, “Show me your friends and I’ll show you your future.” The Bible echoes this sentiment in saying, “Walk with the wise and become wise” (Proverbs 13:20) and a warning, “Do not make friends with a hot-tempered person…or you may learn their ways and get yourself ensnared” (Proverbs 22:24-25). In the New Testament, Paul also claims that “Bad company corrupts good character” (1 Corinthians 15:33). Scripture and common knowledge agree; the community you commit yourself to has influence on who you will become.

Our key passage, Luke 2:52, states that Jesus grew in favor with man. How can we grow in our relationships with others like Jesus did and use our relationships to become more like Him? Again, Scripture speaks so clearly to this question, reminding us that “As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another” (Proverbs 27:17) and that “though one may be overpowered…a chord of three strands is not easily broken” (Ecclesiastes 4:12). We are better together!

Does your community have a negative or positive impact on your life? Are they encouraging you and helping to spur you towards love and good deeds as Hebrews 10:24-25 states? Are you helping others to become who they are called to be in Christ? Today, evaluate your relationships and commit to pursuing those which point you to God and those God uses to point others to Him as we grow like Jesus.

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