The Perpetual Growth Myth

 "For I am the Lord, I do not change; therefore you are not consumed,..." Malachi 3:6

Some preachers say, or at least imply, that with God's help we can continue to grow and be more than we are. Pastors want their church to grow in numbers and in influence.  We claim the increase in the number of churches as evidence of God's blessing on our Fellowship. We believe that if something is alive, it will grow.

Let me ask this first. Has God grown at all? Is He bigger or wiser or stronger than He has ever been? God say that He never changes, as our text states. God is bigger than us, but He is the same as He has always been.

People grow at first, but stop growing at a young age. They may mature and gain knowledge and wisdom, but at some point they are all they will ever be. Every person spends their early years discovering what to do and then they live out the rest of their lives doing what they do best. Fasting and prayer will not change that.

Churches can grow exponentially at some point, but they level off and do what they do over and over and over again. Every church will grow to the level of skill and ability of the pastor and his staff and the core of faithful saints. Gimmicks may bring temporary spurts of growth, But time will tell how big you really are.

The experts say that success is the enemy of growth. I say we do what we do and that's all we can ever do.

I am grateful that God is unchanging and faithful. He never gets bored or tired.