“But ye beloved, building up yourselves in your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost” Jude 20 (KJV).
While salvation is the sovereign act of God received by faith, growth and personal development is the responsibility of the believer. People can only create enabling environment but every believer have to take personal responsibility for the development of the Christian life. Parents can provide food for the children but they cannot eat for the children. They can buy books and enroll the children in school, pay the school fees but the responsibility of mental development rest on the children.
Paul admonished Timothy to “study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth”. – 2Timothy 2:15 (KJV). This is a call for personal development which will enhance Timothy’s efficiency in ministry. He advised Timothy to exercise himself unto godliness for bodily exercise profits little (which is physical development): but godliness, he stressed is profitable unto all things, having promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come (1Timothy 4:7-8). As the Christian gives himself to personal development, his profiting will appear to all. He will be more productive in life and ministry. When we fail to commit to personal development we give others room to despise or look down on us.
God supplies the resources for our development but it is our duty to make use of the resources for our growth and development.
Jesus as a man developed his physical, spiritual, mental and social life. “And Jesus increases in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and man”. Luke 2:52 (KJV)
Increase in wisdom ————- mental development
Increase in stature ———- physical development
Increase in favour with God ———- spiritual development
Increase in favour with men ——- social development
We should walk in the steps of Jesus and develop ourselves in these four dimensions so we can maximize our lives. Anything short of this will be mediocrity. To excel in life, we must commit to personal development like Jesus did. God’s resources for our development include
The Word – man shall not live by bread alone but by every word that proceeds from the master. Joshua was admonished, “this book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shall meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shall make thy way prosperous and then thou shall have good success”. – Joshua 1:8
Prayer and communion with God – As we pray in the Holy Ghost we build up ourselves in our most holy faith. We are admonished to “pray without ceasing” 1Thessalonians 5:17(KJV).
Prayer: I receive the grace for personal development in Jesus name.
Rev. Vincent Diolu