Grow Up in Every Way
As light increases, clarity fills the space—just as Christ fills every part of us with Himself.
Devotional Credit: In Christ by E. Stanley Jones
Photo Credit: Unsplash
E. Stanley Jones gently guides us into the necessity and beauty of growing up—not just in bits and pieces, but in every way into Christ. He exposes the futility of placing our spiritual growth in systems or personalities that claim a part of the truth but cannot encompass the Person who is Truth. Such partialities limit us. We must move past these fragments and behold Christ Himself with unveiled faces if we are to be transformed from glory to glory.
To grow in every way means a life no longer tossed about by the voices of men or the confusion of trends, but a life rooted and centered in the inexhaustible Christ. Jesus is not a system; He is the Source. And when we behold Him, we don't just grow spiritually—we mature emotionally, mentally, socially, and even physically. It is a whole, symmetrical growth. It is eternal, because the One into whom we are growing is eternal.
Jones echoes a thought from the non-canonical Gospel of Thomas, describing this transformation as a rhythm of movement and rest—a perpetual dance of drawing near to Christ and resting in Him. Growth in Christ is not a sprint toward self-betterment but an eternal unfolding of His life through ours, moment by moment, in every aspect of who we are.
✍🏼 Personalized Journal Entry – Voice of the Holy Spirit Through Scripture
I have not called you to partial maturity. I have called you to grow up in every way into Christ, who is your Head. You are not defined by the voices of men or confined to their limited systems. I am leading you out of the smallness of man-made religion and into the vastness of the Son.
As you behold Me, I am transforming you—not just spiritually, but in the totality of your being. I am shaping your thoughts with My mind, your emotions with My peace, your relationships with My love, your body with My presence, and your decisions with My wisdom. I make you whole from the inside out.
Do not settle for growth in one direction while neglecting another. This is not about perfection—it is about presence. I am with you. I am in you. The same Spirit that raised Christ from the dead is giving life to your mortal body and renewing your soul. In Me, you are complete, and yet I continue to expand your experience of that completeness.
Let your life move in rhythm with Me. Draw near and find rest. Step forward and find grace. Let the rhythm of My indwelling become your cadence. Every step into My fullness is rest for your soul and renewal for your life.
Scriptures referenced: Ephesians 4:14–15; 2 Corinthians 3:18; Romans 8:11; Colossians 2:10; Philippians 2:13
🧺 Real-Life Analogy
It’s like adjusting a dimmer switch in a room. At first, the light is faint and you can only see shapes. But as you turn it up, the room slowly fills with clarity. Colors emerge. Details appear. You realize the space was always there—you just couldn’t see it clearly. So it is with growing up into Christ: He was always present, but your eyes now behold Him more fully, and you begin to move in the light you were made to live in.
🙏🏼 Prayer of Confidence
Father, thank You for placing me in Christ, who is the fullness of life. I rejoice that I lack nothing because I am joined to the One who is everything. Thank You for growing me not just in knowledge, but in love, in wholeness, and in every part of who I am. I rest in Your perfect rhythm—movement and rest—as You conform me to the likeness of Jesus, not by my striving, but by Your indwelling Spirit. Today, I walk with confidence, knowing I am growing up in every way into Him who is the Head.