This Again?

Growing Daily

There's a building in our town that has sat empty since the company went out of business.

It’s been unbelievable to watch the property spiral downhill. Within a few weeks, the neatly trimmed grass and shrubs were shaggy. After a few months, the landscaping was out of control and the building began to look run-down. Now, over a year later, the place looks like a haunted house in the middle of a jungle!

Keeping that property attractive was never about one big project. It was about people returning regularly to do the same tasks: cleaning, mowing, and cutting back unhealthy growth.

It made me think about repetition in our spiritual lives. Sometimes we may wonder why pastors emphasize the same basic things week after week. Why do devotionals (like Growing Daily!) keep reminding us of truths we've heard for years? We may even find ourselves thinking, “This again?”

Spiritual health isn't always about big new discoveries. It requires faithful attention to the timeless truths God has already given us. Christians don't need to hear something new every day. We have a hard enough time staying on track with what we already know!

Peter understood this when he wrote, "Therefore, I will always remind you about these things—even though you already know them and are standing firm in the truth you have been taught." (2 Peter 1:12)

Today, don't grow weary of the familiar disciplines of the Christian life. We don’t outgrow God’s truth. We grow by returning to it.

- Ron Reid