1 Samuel 2:21 (NKJV)

“…Meanwhile the child Samuel grew before the Lord.”

There are many ways to grow, in just as many spheres. Anything that does not grow is dead. Growth is one of Mankind’s natural pursuits. In-built in Man is a desire not to remain the same. Stagnancy is death. Revolving around the same thing without making definite progress is moving backward. Redundancy is a waste of life. However, the most important place to ensure we are growing is, “before the Lord.” Growth outside the Lord is poison. Growth “in the Lord” will lead to growth “by the Lord.” Any growth that does not conform to God’s standards and does not comply with God’s principles, is valueless and useless. For example, growing your business outside God’s pattern isn’t growth. Growing your family contrary to God’s ways isn’t growth. Heaven does not recognize such growth. What futility to labor for a growth that God rejects. We must not labor for what the winds will blow away. We must not labor for what will attract God’s judgment.

Samuel kept growing but not in the ways of the other priests. He grew God’s way. As he observed the others, something in him rejected their pattern. The priests grew in their priestly ceremonies, but Samuel knew something was wrong. His spirit rejected their systems.  From childhood, the Lord kept teaching the boy “how to grow.” We must learn the “how” of growing. Growing is not enough. The “how” is more important than the growth. Everyone may pursue growth, but we are not called to grow like everyone else. We are priests of God, called into a holy calling. We will surely grow, but we choose to only grow, “before the Lord.” We will grow but in God’s approved order. We will desire and work to grow, but we will never make growth an end in itself. The world is chasing growth. Don’t follow them. Don’t chase growth. Chase God, and you will grow correctly to God’s glory and in God’s way.