Day 6 — Growing Like Jesus

“And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man.”

— Luke 2:52 (BSB)

Do you have a spot at home where someone marks your height on a wall or a door frame? Every so often you stand against it, someone draws a line, and you can see how much you’ve grown.

After the story of Jesus in the temple, the Bible skips ahead about eighteen years. We don’t know much about what happened. But Luke gives us one verse that sums it all up: “Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man.”

Jesus didn’t arrive on earth as a grown-up. He grew up, just like you. He learned to walk and talk. He learned to work, probably in Joseph’s carpenter shop. He had to grow.

Luke mentions four ways Jesus grew. They’re four ways God wants you to grow too.

Wisdom: your mind. Jesus grew in understanding. He learned God’s Word and learned how to make good choices. You grow in wisdom when you learn at school, read your Bible and listen to wise people.

Stature: your body. Jesus grew taller and stronger. Your body is a gift from God too. Taking care of it with good food, exercise and sleep honors Him.

Favor with God: your spirit. Jesus’ relationship with His Father grew. You grow closer to God when you pray, read His Word and obey Him.

Favor with man: your relationships. People liked Jesus and trusted Him. You grow in this way when you’re kind, honest and helpful to your family, friends and neighbors.

Sometimes we only care about one or two of these. Maybe you work really hard at sports but never open your Bible. Or maybe you’re great at school but unkind to your little brother. Jesus grew in all four ways, and He wants you to grow in all four too.

Growing takes time. You can’t see yourself getting taller from one day to the next, but over a year the change is huge. The same is true inside. Keep growing, a little every day.

Think about it: Of the four ways to grow (wisdom, body, God and people), which one do you most need to work on right now?

Try this: Draw four boxes in your notebook labeled Wisdom, Body, God and People. In each one, write one thing you can do this week to grow.

Dear God, thank You that Jesus grew up just like me. Help me grow in wisdom, in my body, in my friendship with You and in my relationships with others. Make me more like Jesus every day. In His name, Amen.