Monday, September 8, 2008

Failure to Thrive

Recently I learned of a medical term "failure to thrive." It is used to describe infants, small children and the elderly who are fragile. The medical community uses this term to describe a situation that occurs when they are unable to determine why an individual is not progressing toward normal healthy living. Life seems to be at a standstill.

Lately life has been tough. Some days I just get tired of pushing forward. But I know I'm either thriving and pushing forward or I'm standing still and failing to thrive.

In fact Apostle Paul writes that the mark of Christian maturity is that we continue to grow and move forward. This term "failure to thrive" describes us when adverse winds may blow in our storms and we give up. But Paul tells us that God guides us to set our sails and get to a place of thriving. In Ephesians he writes that we can go on in the direction we are supposed to be going no matter what adverse winds are blowing around us.

The Olympics inspired me to think of pressing through the pain. Paul tells it this way "straining forward to what lies ahead." The runners I saw on TV were single-eye focused on the finish line.

Nearing the end, nothing gets to the runner at that point:

  • crowds cheering or booing
  • a crowd or no crowd
  • is it cold or hot

She or he is focused on one thing: the finish line. My question is "do I see God's destiny for me?" That is my finish line...when I know it and see it, I can thrive; no matter what.

Got any ideas on failure to thrive in your life?

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© 2008 Kay Martin

Thrive In Christ

Who I Am In Christ by Neil Anderson

For several months we will center on this book to pursue Thriving in our Christian journey.

Neil challenges us with: "Do you know who you are in God's eyes? We are no longer products of our past. We are primarily products of Christ's work on the cross. Who we are determines what we do.

You are not who you are in Christ because of the things you have done, you are in Christ because of what He has done. He died and rose again so that you and I could live in the FREEDOM of His love."

That's just the introduction. More to follow.