Spiritual growth at its essence

Jesus was never intimidated by those who could (and eventually would) kill him.

The same Jesus held command over all nature, not skipping a beat and multiplying food when people were hungry and hushing the waves when others were scared.

And, of course, his inauguration into ministry was shadowed by the very Tempter himself. Even then, not a hair was out of play. Jesus was in command.

Yet…

When faced with the idea of being separated, even momentarily, from the father, he “fell on his face” and voiced: if only there was another way… (Matthew 26:39)

What moved Jesus at his core was not the external threats. As God, these were nothing to him.

Instead, what moved him was the internal. The fear of losing that most precious thing: harmony with the Father.

As I reflect, I’m afraid my fears are often all backward. I fear the external far more than I fear the internal.

I have come to understand that spiritual growth is the process of reversing this.