Are You Living Off Old Growth?

I wanted to pass along a simple thought I had recently . . . 

A while back I had an interesting conversation with an acquaintance. We'd met once before several years ago. 

When we first met, we made some small talk before he found out that I was in the ministry. Once he learned I worked in youth ministry, he unleashed on me some pretty unorthodox concepts on theology and biblical application, and some other theories he had apparently been wrestling with. It was a good conversation. I enjoyed it. It made me think . . .

I left with the impression that this guy was searching spiritually, and was re-evaluating some of his previous notions on what he believed and how it was applied in his life. Again, good conversation. Good stuff.

I recently ran into this guy again. It had been well over a year since our first talk.

We were sitting down, waiting on a meeting to start. And as we briefly spoke, our conversation began to take the exact same shape as it had the year before. Apparently he had forgotten I was in the ministry; I make quite an impression, apprently. :) Much to my amusement, he offered the same points of consideration, even mentioning the same book, sermon, and writers he referenced in our conversation a year ago. I felt like Bill Murray in Groudhog's Day.

So, ss this a bad thing? Not necessarily. Is he doing something wrong? Not my place to say. And it's not really my point.

My point is simply this . . .

After talking with this guy, I asked myself the question, “Will the conversations about what I'm learning spiritually be the same next year as they are right now?”

It's a discipleship question, really. And it applies to all of us: Are we living off past growth?

When engaged in a spiritual conversation, do you find yourself drawing on truth you learned when you had a hunger for God sometime in your past?

When thinking about leading your family or your students, do you draw on old soapboxes?

Or are you leading out of new truth God is showing you?

If someone asked you right now, “what are you learning,” would your answer reflect new growth in your life?