GROWTH

Spring is a tremendous spiritual illustration. Outside my window buds are bursting. The grass grows at a weekly clip but those green blades are in slow motion compared to the weeds. Winter is over. The great plant race is on and the God Who saw that creation was good is still watching.

Meditation
Colossians 1:9,10—For this reason, since the day we heard about this, we have not stopped praying for you and asking that you may be filled with the full knowledge of God’s will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so that you might live in a manner worthy of the Lord and be fully pleasing to Him as you bear fruit in every good work and grow in the full knowledge of God. (ISV)

Wouldn’t it be great if we could spiritually maintain spring?! There are some great lessons we can learn with respect to growing. First, as with plants, we ought to know that God is the One Who enables us to grow. We cannot grow on our own effort or through the stimulus of others. God programs the sun and rain and temperature perfectly to facilitate the growth of plants. Lilies don’t grow by themselves or by listening to rocks cheer them on. The Apostle Paul reminds us “So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God, Who makes things grow” (1 Corinthians 3:7). If we want to grow, we must listen and follow God’s instruction and leading. He provides us His Word and His Holy Spirit to nourish us, identify threats, protect us from attack and instruct us in avoiding evil.

Agrostologists (those who study grass) will readily admit that weeds must be dealt with before grass will flourish. If we want to grow spiritually, we have to identify and pull the weeds that crowd Jesus from our heart. Weeds represent busyness. Whatever consistently keeps us from spending time with the Lord in prayer and studying the Bible is inhibiting our ability to grow.

If weeds represent busyness, moles must be enemies. Moles will pock a lawn with mini-volcanoes. I’ve found a sure cure for getting rid of them. I use a hose to uncover their holes then wash as many dog messes as I can down their tunnels. I guess they don’t appreciate the aroma and they leave my yard for other digs. There are plenty of people who would be more than happy if we would forsake God. They belittle convictions, wreak havoc on character and tempt us with their own sins of choice. God calls us to avoid such people. If we want to grow we must wear the aroma of Christ. You see to those who want nothing to do with God, Christ stinks. But to us who are spiritually hungry, He is the aroma of life (2 Co. 2:14-16)!

I’ve written two books on spiritual growth because it is so vitally important. If you will send a note asking for I Keep Asking and I Pray Also along with a donation to First Cause to help us cover our printing and mailing costs, I’ll gladly send you these books. I believe you will find them to be of great help and encouragement. There is no greater thrill than walking with our Heavenly Father; no greater joy than developing a deeper love for Him! Something to think about . . . in reveration!

Inspiration
We grow spiritually by obeying God through the words of Jesus being made spirit and life to us and by paying attention to where we are, not to whether we are growing or not.—Oswald Chambers in The Servant as His Lord