It’s easy to see when some things grow. Fingernails get too long and need clipped. Hair gets a little shaggy and it’s time to visit Floyd the Barber. Spring flowers start poking through the earth (not right now, but you know what I mean.) Buying my son new clothes and shoes every six months or so is a pretty good indicator that he’s in a growth spurt. When the numbers on my scale get larger, I’m growing…not that I have a goal to gain weight.
But how about with people? We’ve all seen our friends grow and stretch and reach (sounds like the aerobics classes from the 80’s, doesn’t it?)
Can you tell when you are growing? Are you aware of what God is doing in your heart and life? I’ve been wondering how to measure growth in my own life, if there’s a way to quantify transformation. It’s possible, I suppose, but probably difficult to capture growth in a snapshot of my life.
I have found a few indicators that help me.
1. My wife. Kim is a good source of feedback for me in this area. Though I don’t always like what I hear, I know that I can trust Kim to be honest, direct, and helpful.
2. My buddy Andy. He speaks truth over me, and can sometimes challenge me in ways that no one else can. It’s similar to the conversations that I have with Kim, but there’s not the emotional spillover that can exist in a marriage. And he’s a husband/father/guy, so he brings light from that perspective.
3. My journal. It’s the place that I write out my thoughts and prayers. When I look back through the pages of my journal, I can see what God is doing, how I’m responding, and where the path has taken me.
These give me more of a panoramic glimpse of how I’m doing, and that’s vital. I’m looking for trajectory, trends, and tendencies.
How do you measure growth in your life? Who do you listen to?
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