I read something years ago that has stuck with me. Here is what it said.
A shark in a fish tank will grow eight inches, but in the ocean, it will grow eight feet or more. The shark can never outgrow its environment.
The same is true about us.
It reminds me of a dream I once had.
I dreamed there was a large staircase, you couldn’t even see the top of it. There were people sitting on different steps. Some were on the bottom steps. Some were in the middle. And some were closer to the top.
I was going to a different church at the time. The pastor of the church I was attending was sitting on a step below the middle. He had his head down. Somehow, I knew in the dream that we could go as far as we wanted to go. Or we could stop growing and seeking God at any point. Some didn’t want to keep climbing so they stopped. The steps were steep and narrow, and it was hard. Even the pastor had stopped before making it to the top. I determined that day that I would never stop climbing. Even if everyone around me stopped growing and climbing I would continue to seek the Lord and grow in Him.
That being said. Our environment is vital. Just like with the shark. Our growth often coincides with the environment we place ourselves in.
If we surround ourselves with people who are not seeking God. Who only go to church once a week and never pick up their bible, never pray, never worship – we can easily become lax in our seeking of the Lord.
However, if we surround ourselves with people who are hungry for God, people who seek God daily. People who want to please God and continually talk about the Lord, we will continue to grow in God. Make sure you surround yourselves with those kind of people.
Just like in my dream, it is entirely up to us how far we go in God. We can encourage people. We can teach them. We can share the word with them. We can even pray for them. However, it is entirely up to them if they grow in God. It is up to them to put in the effort to know God more. To become more intimately acquainted with Him.
It’s up to them if they choose to allow God to work in their life and draw them up higher. That applies to friends, family and even our kids. It’s up to them to choose to grow in God. However, prayer works, so don’t stop praying for those around you. Ask God to draw them closer to Him. Ask God to give them the desire to come up higher in Him. He is faithful and He hears our prayers.
My friends, remember the shark. He grows according to the environment he is in. Make sure you are in a good, bible teaching church with pastors who desire to grow in God and in the things of God.
Then, determine to surround yourself with friends and people who love the Lord. Who want to please God and walk in His ways. And, who wants to grow in God. If you do that, you have created an environment where you can grow without limits.
Remember this, no one is perfect. I am not saying surround yourself with people who are perfect and never miss the mark. We all make mistakes, the thing to look for is a heart that wants to please God. That wants to grow in God and His word. A heart that seeks His face and an intimate relationship with Him. There is nothing better than that. Surround yourself with that.
