This morning I would like to talk to you about growth. Facebook reminded me that five years ago we were just starting construction of our front courtyard wall. There were only a couple native plants, a short little sidewalk and no wall. It was a blank canvas, a barren land.
But Dave and I had a vision of what we wanted it to become and the work was started…
Fast forward to today – five years later we have a beautiful courtyard wall, a long sidewalk, gates, tons of vegetation and benches so we can sit out front and enjoy the view and the solitude.
Change is good! Growth is good!
That got me to thinking. I can look at our front courtyard and our back patio and see growth. How much growth can I see in my spiritual life? I read once that if we aren’t growing everyday in our relationship with the Lord we are regressing because living things grow.
“My dear friends, you have been warned ahead of time! So don’t let the errors of evil people lead you down the wrong path and make you lose your balance. 18 Let the wonderful kindness and the understanding that come from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ help you to keep on growing. Praise Jesus now and forever! Amen.” II Peter 3:17-18 CEV
Peter had written a letter to Christians everywhere and the verses above were his final admonishment in that letter. This is how he started the letter:
“From Simon Peter, a servant and an apostle of Jesus Christ. To everyone who shares with us in the privilege of believing that our God and Savior Jesus Christ will do what is just and fair. 2 I pray that God will be kind to you and will let you live in perfect peace! May you keep learning more and more about God and our Lord Jesus.” II Peter 1:1-2 CEV
He wanted us ALL to keep learning about God the Father and our Lord Jesus. It is a continuing growth process; the deepening of our relationship. It’s change that is good.
We may not notice the daily growth but it’s happening. Sometimes we hit a “grow spurt” and it seems that we have shot up over night in our knowledge and relationship with the Lord. At other times the growth is gradual, almost unnoticeable until we look back and see how things used to be.
Our responsibility is to stay attached to Jesus. He is the vine from which we draw our life.
“Get your life from Me and I will live in you. No branch can give fruit by itself. It has to get life from the vine. You are able to give fruit only when you have life from Me. 5 I am the Vine and you are the branches. Get your life from Me. Then I will live in you and you will give much fruit. You can do nothing without Me.” John 15:4-5 NLV
When we stay in our relationship with Jesus good fruit will grow! It’s a natural occurrence, just the same as apples and oranges grow on the branches of the tree we will see fruit growing in our lives. Good and beneficial fruit.
“But the fruit that comes from having the Holy Spirit in our lives is: love, joy, peace, not giving up, being kind, being good, having faith, 23 being gentle, and being the boss over our own desires. The Law is not against these things.” Galatians 5:22-23 NLV
Branches naturally grow when they are attached to a strong trunk. There is no stronger trunk (or vine) than Jesus. We can trust Him to produce spiritual growth in us.
Grow today – grow strong – grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Saviour!