Read: John 15:8-11

Aunt Jan was brewing herbal tea when Leah was dropped off for a visit one Sunday afternoon. Leah happily sat down in the homey kitchen and sniffed the air. “Mmm, it smells good in here!”

“Orange blossom tea—my favorite,” said Aunt Jan with a smile. She pointed to a cake on the counter. “Help yourself.”

Leah got a plate from the cupboard and cut a slice of cake. Aunt Jan raised her brows. “Why so quiet today?” she asked. “You usually talk my ears off!”

Leah laughed. “I was just thinking,” she said.

“Well then, why not let me think with you?” said Aunt Jan. “What are we thinking about?”

“The lesson we had in Sunday school today was about growing in the Lord,” Leah said. “Our teacher said we need to grow as Christians in order to become like Jesus, but I’m confused. Didn’t He change us when we put our faith in Him? I guess I don’t quite get it.”

“You’re right, Leah,” said Aunt Jan. “Jesus did change us when we trusted Him to save us from sin—we changed from being dead in sin to alive in Christ. But it takes time to grow in our relationship with Him and become more like Him.” She took a sip of tea, then looked down at her cup. “It’s a lot like tea,” she said.

“Tea?” Leah asked.

“Yes, tea,” said Aunt Jan. “The moment a tea bag is put into hot water, it’s no longer water—it’s tea. That’s like what happens to us the moment Jesus comes into our lives. But even though Jesus saves us from sin in an instant, it takes longer for us to learn to live out His truth and love in different areas of our lives and become more like Him—just like tea grows stronger the longer the tea bag is in it. The more we learn about Jesus and depend on Him to work in our hearts, the more we grow in our relationship with Him and become more like Him.”

Leah grinned. “Thanks, Aunt Jan. I think I get it now!”

–Cindy Van Schalkwyk

How about you?

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