Is it possible to grow yet stay the same? In my opinion, yes it is. In fact, if Jesus Christ is always the same (Hebrews 13:8) & we are to model our lives after him then logically we can grow and be the same at the same time.
How is that possible though? Because it’s also logical that growth by definition is change right?
If you are living in your purpose, doing what you are called to do, and you continue to do that for life, you simply grow by becoming better at your true purpose. It’s a form of change but doesn’t change who you are as a person.
For example, when I was working in corporate, I was the tech guru. Not because I knew everything but because everyone knew that what I didn’t know, I would find out. I was the person who would find the answer to practically anything. I would research, test, ask all the questions, try different things, do whatever it took to solve problems. That’s when people starting calling me the “keeper of random knowledge” – because all that research sticks with you.
At that stage of my IT career, that was my purpose. I lived it the same day in & day out. Yet I continued to grow in my knowledge in a way that helped me live out my purpose.
Now, as a business owner & interior designer, I am called to help people feel great at home. Every project is different because every client is different. But how I approach each one is the same. Turning a house into a home is a different process for every single person, every single budget. My purpose remains the same but because every project is different, I learn something new almost everyday. That’s growth.
Every year, my new year always starts on my birthday. This year people were sending me old photos of myself that made me realize I am who I’ve always been.
It has taken me half a lifetime to realize that I’ve always been the same person at heart, I’ve just grown into my true self & into my purpose. Let’s remember that growth doesn’t always mean becoming a different person. More often it means becoming the best version of yourself.
Whatever stage you are in life, I’m willing to bet that if you reflect over who you are as a person, you will probably find that you are the same (or at least similar) at heart but you too have grown & will continue to grow. By His grace.
