PHOTO FINISH

I have a bunch of old photos of family, friends, and special moments. They are priceless to me. I have been told I need to get with the times and digitize them, but I like my old school Polaroids. Since we live in a society of instant gratification, digital pics are the preference, but Polaroids are making a comeback! Polaroids instantly come out of the camera but are distorted and unrecognizable. They need more time to develop. “But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and forever! Amen” (2 Peter, 3:18 NIV). If you want to speed up the development of a Polaroid picture, the secret is to add a little wind by shaking it. After a short while, you will have a tangible image to hold in your hand that is readily available to be seen, shared, and enjoyed. Spiritual growth and development are essential to having a Dashing Life. It is much like the Growth stage in our life cycle in that it requires parental protection and provision, DNA determines our traits, and individual effort is needed to move from infancy and to maturity. Spiritual immaturity looks like an undeveloped Polaroid, distorted by sin, looking like the world and not like Jesus. Spiritual maturity is the developed Polaroid that can be seen as an image of light in a dark world to be shared and used by God. What does your spiritual Polaroid currently look like? Do you need more time to develop? Do you need God to shake you to get you going? Or has the breath of God ignited your development? If your Polaroid is distorted and not developed, start putting forth the effort to grow toward maturity. It’s already in your DNA, and God is ready with protection and provision for your growth journey. “Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for providing Jesus as an example of what I should look like. Thank You for giving me the time, tools, and teachers to grow and develop. Thank You for shaking me when I need it and breathing in my direction to give me wings. Thank You for the DNA that grafted me into Your family and made You my Father. I pray that I never take Your grace for granted and that I grow in the knowledge of Your will, Your Word, and Your way. All this I pray in Jesus’ name. Amen.”