Charles Stanley Daily Devotional (April 22, 2025) Growing in God’s Love.
Maturity comes from intentional daily decisions to follow Christ.
Colossians 2:6-7 - Therefore as you have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, having been firmly rooted and now being built up in Him and established in your faith, just as you were instructed, and overflowing with gratitude.
Yesterday, we looked at the importance of slow, steady growth. In today’s passage, Paul tells us how to accomplish that growth: Be “firmly rooted and ... built up in Him and established in your faith ... overflowing with gratitude.” As we’re rooted in faith, we’ll become closer and closer to Jesus each and every day—not just loving Him more but also learning to love as He does.
Growth is a deliberate choice and a transformative process. Think of a tree. It slowly gets larger, adding layers year after year. Similarly, we grow in love through gratitude, patience, and intentional acts of kindness, compassion, and forgiveness. As we do, our relationships with others are impacted for the better.
For instance, when we speak the truth in love, we nurture a culture of grace and understanding (Ephesians 4:15 - but speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in all aspects into Him who is the head, even Christ). Honesty without love can wound, whereas love without truth can enable deception. The balance is found in Jesus, who perfectly embodies both requirements.
Take a moment to pause and reflect on your recent interactions. Were they marked by love? If not, perhaps you need to spend more time experiencing the love of your heavenly Father. Then you will be ready to allow God’s example to be your guide in every conversation, relationship, and decision.
