Have you ever heard hair grows faster when the split ends are trimmed? Wondering if this was true, I turned to Google. Immediately, an article popped up dispelling this myth. Read it for yourself at http://www.hair-styles.org/top-10-hair-myths.html.

It seems hair grows in a predetermined way. We can buy into lots of treatments and approaches. We can do things to hurt or improve the health of our hair. We can even prevent hair from growing, but we are not able to create hair growth. (If we could, baldness wouldn't exist and the toupee industry would go bust!)

Spiritual growth is also to occur in a certain way. We can do many things to keep ourselves in a healthy relationship with God, such as attending church, taking time to pray, showing kindness to others, forgiving mistakes, helping the needy, or giving to the poor. However, none of these things alone create growth.

God creates growth.

Read 1 Corinthians 3: 1-8. Paul is pointing out to the Corinthians a point of spiritual immaturity. These people are believers but have become preoccupied with themselves and choosing sides by putting more merit on Paul or Apollos. Paul says, "Look, only God creates growth. God has chosen to use each of us in his work, but he alone creates growth." (my paraphrase of the text)

How do we mimic the Corinthians' immaturity?

For years, I attended church, hearing truthful messages preached by other people. I read Christian books and Bible studies by wonderful authors. I put much effort into being obedient and performing good acts. But I also neglected personal study of God's word on my own.

The Bible is God's word.

All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:
That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.
2 Timothy 3:16 -17.

To be mature (which implies growth), we must be in God's word. The scriptures themselves cannot save us or mature us, but they reveal God's truth directly to us, which is the established way God chooses to grow us. By knowing Jesus through the scriptures and through faith, we grow.

So don't be fooled into thinking growth is the same thing as trimming out the "bad" and participating in the "good." These are parts of cooperating with God, but will never create growth on their own.

Jeanette Edgar is married to her husband, Randy, of 15 years and a mother of three school-age children. Her passion is to encourage believers to find their own identities in Christ by striving first to know Him better. Personal interests include reading, traveling, hiking, scrapbooking and pushing past complacency to growth in her walk with the Lord. You can follow her Bible reading blog at www.invitedlife.wordpress.com.