This word is submitted by Teresa Seputis [ts@godspeak.org]

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                            Growing Up

Child of Mine, you are growing up, and that effects how I interact with
you. Things that used to be permissible to you when you were a small
child in Me no longer allowed as you begin to grow and mature. That is why
I am holding you to a stricter standard. I am not being mean and I have not
stopped loving you, I am merely expecting you to act your age.  In fact, I
am requiring that of you.

Look at it in the natural.  A baby held in it's mother's arms is not expected
to do much. Others take care of it's needs and all it does is to receive
and grow.  That child is fed and bathed, it's diapers are changed when they
get wet.  But as the child begins to grow, new requirements are put upon it.
It is toilet trained, it is taught to "play nicely" with others, and it
begins to learn to feed itself.  That is the way of all mankind, for I have
explicitly created you with the capacity to grow, learn and mature.

Did you think it is different in the spirit than it is in the natural?
Don't you see that growth and maturity is the way of all things?

Precious one, you cannot stay a baby in Me forever.  Yes, there was a time
when I took care of all of your needs and you did not have to do anything
to receive this grace.  You did not have to ask anything of Me, I simply
look care of all of your needs.  As a result, you came to know Me as your
faithful provider.  I am still your provider, but the way I provide for you
changes as you grow and mature in Me. I began to involve you in the process
of My provision.  There are times when I require to you ask Me before I
provide for you. There are times when I require you to participate with Me
in your provision by doing certain things.  I have not changed, I am still
your provider.  But as you begin to grow up, I give you "chores" to do with
Me in accomplishing My perfect will for you.

A baby totters as it learns to walk, it takes a step and falls. Then it gets
up and tries again.  It repeats this process many times before it learns to
walk and then to run.  Have you not noticed the delight on it's parents'
faces as it goes through that process?  It's parents are not angry that it
falls as it learns to walk, but they are delighted with the child for trying.

Child, you must learn to stand in faith and walk in the spirit, just like you
must learn to walk in the natural. The process is similar.  You have tottered
many times as you learn to walk in faith.  You took a small step and then you
were unable to remain standing.  Why do you think that I am angry with you
for these tiny "failures" as you learn?  Don't you see that My goal is for
you to be able to stand and walk in faith?  I delight in you as you go
through this process.  Child, I am not punishing you when I orchestrate
little trials that require you to stand in faith.  All I am doing is
teaching you to walk.  All children need to learn to walk, both in the
natural and in the spirit--it is part of the growth process and I do require
it of you.

Child of Mine, it should delight your heart as you see changes in how I
interact with you, because that is an indication that you are growing up.
I will never stop loving you and I will never stop being your Father; you
will always be My dear child. But as you mature, I do require more of you;
I call you to a higher standard of holiness in Me. Things that used to be
permissible are no long so. I call you to a higher level of faith. I require
that you walk in a greater measure of forgiveness and that you love others
as I have loved you.  I require you to grown and mature, to become more
and more like My Son Jesus.

So, little one, do not be dismayed as I begin to treat you differently, for
I am helping you to grow up in Me.