A couple of summers ago I was in a Bible study I’ll never forget. It wasn’t the format of the study or the place of the study, but it was the fact that multiple generations of women were involved. Coming out of college and involved in a younger church, I was used to Bible studies with girls of a similar age group. But I absolutely loved hearing from ladies further along in life and growing from them. Getting to hear and learn from others throughout the study—both during the actual study time and in the informal conversations before and after-- challenged, encouraged, and grew my faith. 

Today, we hear a lot about personal growth and looking to yourself to learn and grow. While self-reflection is important, sometimes we get so caught up in self-inspection that we lose sight of the necessity of looking to the Lord and to other wise believers to facilitate growth. As Proverbs 9 reminds us, fear of God is the very start and center of wisdom. Wisdom helps us grow as it guides every decision we make. How does He want us to grow in this season? Hint: it might not be the way we think we need to grow (don’t ask me how I know….). By looking to the Lord first, our hearts align with His and we seek His Spirit. His Spirit helps us to naturally grow in the pace and space He desires. 

Growing with other believers can be difficult, especially if we are moving around and living in different places. However, even reading this devotional is a wonderful way to grow as it connects you with other ladies around the world. Use technology to help you connect with and encourage others, and seek out who God may have placed in your life that you can grow with. Just like I realized in that Bible study, growth does not have to be specific or formal to be transformational. Just being around other mature believers and seeing how they handle situations can mold and shape us. 

Today, let’s take a deep breath and remember that we are not responsible to make ourselves grow and mature out of our own strength. We look to Jesus, and can joyfully invite Him to work His sanctifying work in us as we welcome His Spirit and engage with other believers (see 2 Corinthians 12:9, Hebrews 12:2).