There has always been activity in the earth realm that initiates challenges and hostilities towards the Church. The season in which we live is no exception. Many believers are encountering unforeseen trials; temptation has become a counter weight that causes false balance and an abundance of abominable works. This is in no wise limited to the Church, but also the world. Jesus declared, upon this rock I will build my Church and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. One of the elements we need to be like Him and appear as He is in this day, is stature. Regardless of how life began or where you may currently find yourself, we are to be as He is. The word stature is defined as: natural height (as of a person) in an upright position. Quality or status gained by growth, development, or achievement; the status, rank, degree, ability to stand or posture oneself, importance, prominence and prestige.

Jesus was born during a time of world wide economic, social and political upheaval. Yet, the conditions present during His humble beginnings in Bethlehem didn’t stop His progression of manifesting the power of God to deliver the multitudes and all of mankind from the destruction of sin, because He was a man of stature. The whole world was under a decree by Caesar Augustus to be taxed (Luke 2:1). People were feeling the pressure then just as we are today. The unquenchable greed and covetousness of today’s leaders has released anguish globally and people are desperately seeking solutions to their problems.
The means for the Church to be victorious is to pattern our ways of doing and thinking after Christ. The world has its own course and apart from Christ, failure and ruin will be the portion of many. Isaiah 8:22 says, “And they shall look unto the earth; and behold trouble and darkness, dimness of anguish; and they shall be driven to darkness”. Christ is the light of the world and in Him there is no darkness at all. Let’s now look at the Stature of Christ and see how we to can advance and be light in the midst of darkness.

Trouble and darkness was the condition of the earth prior to the coming of our Lord. Further details with the promise of Christ and His deliverance to the people of God and given in Isaiah chapter 9. Of the increase of His government and peace there shall be no end. Four keys for believers rise in Christ’s stature are mentioned in Luke 2:40. They must be addressed to extract some practical things in order to receive Christ like stature and increase in it.

KEY 1… He grew; Jesus enlarged himself literally. We can enlarge and grow as we spend time in the Word, worship, fasting and praying, etc. All this is essential to productive living and necessary for the growth of the believer.

KEY 2… He waxed strong in the spirit; Jesus was empowered in the spirit. Praying in tongues, confessing the Word over your life and submission to God’s will definitely increases (waxes strong) the spiritual capacity of believers.

KEY 3… He was filled with wisdom; Jesus had the spirit with out measure. We know that there are seven expressions of the Spirit according to Isaiah 11, yet here, He’s mentioned to be filled with wisdom. Why wisdom? Wisdom is the principle thing, in all our getting we are to get wisdom and understanding. All the streams of God flow from wisdom.

KEY 4… The grace of God was on Him; the favor, preferred child status, divine influence on the heart by God came as a result of growth, strength and wisdom. The favor of God is essential to stature because it is connected to one’s status and rank.

The Lord increased in stature and in wisdom, which opened Him up to the favor of God and man. Sometimes believers fail to realize that we live in a world that is moving totally contrary to the ways of God. That’s why we need to increase in the stature of Christ so that doors of favor with godless men can be our portion. God’s divine influence in our lives will activate others who are renown among men to begin extending their resources unto us.

As we press into developing the character, qualities and nature of Christ in our personal lives we will increase in stature. God will cause us to stand in places where others have fallen in order to advance His kingdom in the earth. Scripture is full of those who walked in stature, enjoying the favor of God and man. From Abraham who with 318 trained servants defeated five nations and was promoted mightily by God; to Joseph who increased in Egypt until he became second in command to Pharaoh and was used of God to help sustain life during an intense famine; to Daniel a prophet in Babylon who maintained the ways of God and was promoted through out the reign of three foreign kings over a 70 year period. The list goes on and on. I pray that in these days you to will grow, wax strong, be filled with wisdom and receive His grace on your life. I decree success, stability, fortitude and encounter with He who is faithful to be your portion. May you walk under open heavens and know the favor of God and be a saint who lives in the Stature of Christ!