INTRODUCTION

Growth is simply change in phases that occurs in every human as allowed. 

The place of physical, spiritual, academical, career and marital growth cannot be overemphasized in the lives of people.

When you have a child, there’s a time for the baby to start eating, crawling, talking and  running.

I am very sure you are not the same person you used to be ten years ago.

Many will look at themselves and smile ☺, saying I have really CHANGED OR GROWN.

The question we need to ask is that, how do you know if you are growing?

Apostle Paul  made us to know there was a time in his life that he was behaving childish, and there was a time he grew up.

There was a phase in my life that I was so child but it got to a point and I realized I was growing. 

1 Corinthians 13:11

KJV: When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things.

You need wisdom that comes through knowledge before you can say if you are growing or not. 

1. Your Speech/Words. 

How many of us noticed when a child is born, he will start by calling Daddy, as Taddy or Da and  mummy, as mum till the baby can pronounce it well.

There are many who could not lead opening prayers or read the Bible in their local assembly few years ago just for few minutes because of fear but they can do it without fretting today. Its a good signs to show you are growing.

I could remember back then in secondary school, if you want to punish any student, ask him or her to come and coordinate the assembly morning devotion.

You will some shaking profusely ; praying and singing in a very disorderly manner, I guess your case was not like that?

Many of them who used to fret or run away from assembly coordination have become very great public speakers  today and that’s good signs to show they’ve grown.

If you still talk to people same way you used to talk ten years ago, then you are not growing.

Have you seen situations where people will ask, you have not changed the way you talk? Surprised 

If your words used to tear people down some  years ago and you still tear  people down  up till today, you need to grow up 👆.

What are the ten thing you used to think  about five 5 years ago?

What are the 10 things you think of now?

Kindly write them down  and check out the similarities;

i. if everything is the same, then you are not growing.

ii. If 50% of them are the same, it shows 50% growth over the ten years.

iii. If none of them are the same, then you have grown 💯% over  years.

Ten years ago, I was battling with lust and inability to sight ladies without having ungodly thoughts, but today, it’s a thing of the pasts.

Take documentary   of what you think about daily and see what dominate your mind.

Some young guys only think  about premarital sex and romance daily as if everything is all about sex.

Some young  guys  believe that ladies are only sex tools while some ladies believe guys are only ATM.

Some people think that no other tribe can be better than theirs.

I was talking to a friend today, who told me she used to tribalistic, but things has changed now and she has   grown up  beyond shell of tribalism.

Many  people have missed their life partner just because of the wrong thoughts(fallacy) they had about a tribe or the other forgetting that there are bad and good people in all tribes.

Your slogan should be : the things I used to think, I think them no more!

3. What you read.

A students who kept on reading    WAEC textbooks after ten  years of leaving secondary school shows such student is not growing.

When many of  the class mates are about  graduating  from post graduate schools, you are are still reading for WAEC? 

If you have not changed the types of books  you have been reading and how long you have been reading  for the past ten  years, it is a sign that you are not growing 

List ten  books you were reading  five  years ago, and the books  you are reading today :

i. If they are  the same, then you are not growing.

ii. If they are different, then you are growing.

If you used to read  erotic novels ten  years ago and you still read them today, it’s a sign that you are not growing.

If you don’t used to read  your Bible, motivational, personal development, relationship, marriage or spiritual books  five 5 years ago and you have not been reading it today, it’s a sign that you are not growing. 

If you used to borrow people’s books  to read   five 5 years ago, and you still do it up till today instead of buying your own, then you are not growing .

We all  know that readers  are great  leaders in all spheres of life.

Except you don’t want to lead, that’s when you won’t read. 

 

If you used to see pornography, nude pictures, sex scenes, erotic magazines, sexualized songs or videos games some years back, and you are still seeing it today, then you are not growing. 

If the only thing that you see in people is how useless, immature, stupid, cursed, irresponsible, prone to mistakes without ever seeing anyone who is good, it’s a sign that you are not growing.

If you used to see negative, failure, defeat or impossibility  in whatever you or people want to do some years back  and you still see things that way now, then you are not growing.

If you still see internet, Facebook,Instagram, Whatsapp, LinkedIn, Twitter etc. As the place for chatting without making your own money  or getting job done  this 2020, then you are not growing.

Until you start seeing social media as a place where people meet their destiny and career helper, life partner, business partner and spiritual partner, then you are not growing.

 

5. What you write. 

If you still write articles, letter, essay, cover letter, text messages, stories, books  or ideas same way like few  years ago, it’s a sign that you are not growing.

I don’t know if you have observed  this before : you will laugh if you see some articles or things you posted on Facebook few years ago.

If you still use shorthand in your typing  on Whatsapp, Facebook, messenger, Instagram etc as at today, like I/you used to do five years ago, it’s a sign  that you are not growing.

Some people have grown up to an extent  that, they won’t read  whatever message you sent when you don’t spell the words completely and correctly because they can’t be racking their brain  trying to understand what you wrote.

If you still make simple and common spelling and grammatical  mistakes today in your writing like you  used to do few years , it’s a clear sign  that you are not growing.

If you still write ” hi sexy, baby, sweetie, honey etc.”  to a stranger like you used to write on messenger few years ago, it’s a sign that you are not growing.

I checked my conversation on messenger five years ago, and my conversations today and I could see great differences.  That’s growth!

I could not put up an article on Facebook or social media that would bless lives few years ago, but God changed the story today.

By God’s

 grace, I can write articles on Facebook that people will be blessed with it.

6. What you buy.

Some years ago, whenever I have money , I used to spend everything buying foods and dresses  , but when I have money today, I spend it on buying books  and attending paid seminars that will transform my life by building  my mind.

Kindly list ten  things you were spending money  buying five 5 years ago and what you spend money  buying today and see the difference between between.

If they are the same, then you are not growing.

If they are not the same, then you are growing. 

7. How you spend your time.

Few years back, I used to spend a whole day at football viewing centers and pitch playing soccer, but today I spend hours counseling and preparing messages for my next ministration.

Few years back, I used to spend my time  playing video games and seeing movies   , but today I spend my time moving from one spiritual, academical or personal development program to another.

Few years ago, I used to visit  people and spend a lot of time talking trash, but I don’t have time for that when I have close five 5 books  I am writing and waiting for publishing and I have books  I want to read and seminar ministration.

I told someone I have never watched a season film in my entire life because I don’t have the time. 

Beloved, write 10 things you used to spend your time on five years ago and today ;

i. If they are the same, then you are not growing.

ii if they are not the same, then you are growing. 

8. Who  you listen to and what you say.

If you still listen to olamide, Wizkid, Jay Z and other worldly singers like you used to do five years ago, it’s a sign that you are not growing.

If you have started listening  to bad songs you have once renounced , gossips , critics and haters ; then it’s a sign that you are not growing.

If you still keep listening to same Preacher you have been under his or her ministration for years and your life didn’t change, it’s sign you are not growing.

If you always say something negative, bad, sinful, hurtful, seductive, promiscuous, then you are not growing.

Your words is more or less your worth. 

If you still keep same set of friends that have not added value  to your life and also trying to influence you negatively over the years, it is a sign  that you are growing.

I don’t have friends who are not purpose and heavenly driven.

I have colleagues and  acquaintances, but very few friends.

The more friends you have, the less you grow and less productive you  are.

Bad friends  will  make you have redundant and stunted growth .

Ever since I changed my friends, my life didn’t remain the same. Don’t allow anyone force friendship on you. 

A friend to a fornicator or thief, is also same thing with them. 

If you can’t get assistance or sound  advice from your circles of friends, then you don’t have friends.

It’s not about the quantity of friends but the quality.

If people don’t give good  testimonies, reports or feedback about your life, then you are not growing.

If people don’t ask you what has happened to you because of the positive things happening in your life, then you are not growing.

If people don’t oppose or criticize you for the good things you are doing, then you you are not growing.

If you don’t have a mentor, coach, family family members or friends that you are accountable to, then you are not growing.

If you are not teachable by people, then you are not growing.

If you don’t desire to learn or explore positively more, then you are not growing 

Growth is not magical, but processes birth by learning and unlearning. 

I am glad you attended today’s seminar because you desired growth. 

If there’s anything you should keep desiring, it’s growth.