The Way to Growth

Day 341: 3 John 1:1-15

“Demetrius has received a good testimony from everyone, and from the truth itself. We also add our testimony, and you know that our testimony is true.” - ‭‭3 John‬ ‭1:12‬ ‭ESV‬‬

This letter from John is a tale of two Ds. We would do well to lean into the differences between Diotrephes and Demetrius.

Diotrephes is your typical control freak. If we’re honest, we’ve all fallen into this trap. This small way of living (and thinking) is when we refuse to listen to anyone else as an authority. We sincerely believe that we don’t need help, and we refuse to grow by making ourselves incapable.

Then there is Demetrius. No matter what angle you choose to look at his life, he is approved. He has a reputation as someone who follows what is right. The church was testifying, John was giving witness, and the truth itself was also confirming. He wasn’t scheming for control; he was placing his faith in the bedrock of truth found in Jesus. Others were noticing.

So, who do you want to be? Someone who is the resident expert without the need for help? Or a teachable person, always looking for new ways to do good. If we remain teachable, we are deciding to remove the limits to our potential for growth. There is no church, business, school, or government that isn’t clamoring for someone like Demetrius.

“You can plan for control, and you can plan for growth, but you can’t plan for both.” - Rick Warren

Jesus is ready to help us grow. Are we willing to let Him?