A Balanced Life

“And Jesus increased in wisdom, and stature, and in favor with God and men.” Luke 2:52

In Philippians 2, we learn that when Jesus Christ came in the flesh, He emptied himself of some of what it means to be God. He did not ever become less than God. He was always fully God. But when He came in the flesh, He wanted to fully understand what it was like to be human, and so He had to give up certain aspects that would interfere with being human. He used His ability to perform miracles and help others, but He never used His God nature for Himself.

There are very few theological ideas which have been discussed and debated more, and yet are still misunderstood. Just know that whether we understand it or not, Jesus did grow up just as we do. He developed just as we do. He experienced life just as we do. 

Intellectually – the child grew in “wisdom.”

Jesus grew, according to verse Luke 2:40, in wisdom. He was filled with wisdom, it says. You know, wisdom is different from knowledge. Wisdom is applied knowledge. But before you can acquire wisdom, you must have knowledge. So as Jesus developed in His wisdom, He also developed in His knowledge.

85% of a child’s character is developed in the first 5 years of life – no better way to start them out than with the Bible. 

Physically – the child grew in “stature”

There are very few theological ideas which have been discussed and debated more, and yet are still misunderstood. Just know that whether we understand it or not, Jesus did grow up just as we do. He developed just as we do. He experienced life just as we do. Yet in it all, He was without sin.

Spiritually – the child grew in “favor with God”

Jesus, although He was the Son of God, was also human, and so He had to learn the Bible, and learn theology, and learn obedience just like we do. Jesus was fully human, just like we are, and a big part of being human is theology.

Aspire to live a Spirit filled life. Seek God’s favor in all you do.

Socially – the child grew in “favor with men”

Etiquette is more than fussy rules laid down by stuffy people; etiquette is the oil that lubricates society and reduces the friction of interpersonal relationships. This is a critical part of growing up. Jesus knew how to conduct Himself in various social settings.

Now to measure how balanced your growth is, envision a square: the top side is spiritually, the right side is physically, the bottom is socially, the left side is intellectually. Are all four sides equal or is your development out of balance? Beginning now, ask the Lord to help you live a balanced life. Devote proportionate time to developing each. Evaluate yourself often in order to make adjustments. Square up.