1 Samuel 16:18 (NKJV)
“Then one of the servants answered and said, ‘Look, I have seen a son of Jesse the Bethlehemite, who is skillful in playing, a mighty man of valor, a man of war, prudent in speech, and a handsome person; and the LORD is with him.’”

We are all made up of different parts and each part is important. Growth means maturing in these different aspects of our lives. Unfortunately, there are many of us who have become stunted in their growth, and remained immature over time.

Irrespective of where we are located, we must commit to keep growing. Nothing can restrict a life committed to grow. The growing man is always evaluating himself, and seeking new ways to develop himself.

David was a simple shepherd boy. He spent most of his days on the fields with the sheep. He did not have access to the resources his brothers had, and yet, he kept developing and growing himself in all the right areas, and these were the things that brought him into the limelight. Our committment to growth will bring us into God’s destiny for our lives.

Here are the five areas David kept growing in.

Firstly, he developed his talents. NLT says he was a “talented harp player.” He didn’t just play the harp but he was talented in it. Each of us have in-born talents which we need to develop into skills. Many have talents that they have buried and refused to work on; and then they wonder why doors have refused to open to them.

Secondly, he was a “mighty man of valor, a man of war.” David was a fighter. He did not give up easily on things. Even though he wasn’t trained as a soldier, he knew what was right and what was wrong, and fought for what he believed in. We need to be fighters for our convictions. We must develop that inner strength to stand for and defend what we believe in.

Thirdly, he was prudent in speech, what NLT calls “good judgment.” He was not a flippant talker. He was a man of discernment. He knew what to say and what not to say, and when to speak. We must develop the discipline of controlled speech and wisdom in relationships. We sometimes lose out because we “over-speak, under-speak or mis-speak.”

Forthly, he was handsome. This could mean physically fine looking but a better way to see this, is that he was “attractive.” David was someone attractive. Meeting David meant that something in him appealed to you. God in us should create a personality that attracts. We should not be the types of people that repel people. Our beauty must not be the fineness of external things but in the power of God drawing men in.

Finally, it says that, the Lord was with him. Don’t know how they came to that conclusion, but when the Lord is with someone, you cannot hide it. May we invest our lives and effort into cultivating God’s presence in us. Contrary to popular belief, God’s presence in man comes in measures, and we can grow the measure of God in us. May God’s Spirit so fill us to overflowing, so much so that everyone around us can testify to God’s presence in us.

These are the five areas we need to commit to grow, and may we be diligent and watchful to ensure that we are not static in any one of them. A well-rounded and mature pilgrim is someone who isn’t just growing spiritually. He is someone commtted to constantly developing himself in every area.