Zechariah 4:10 "Do not despise these small beginnings, for the Lord rejoices to see the work begin, to see the plumb line in Zerubbabel’s hand.” Spiritual growth to maturity takes time. Sometimes it takes a long time. Some people never achieve it. Why? Well, usually it's because their roots grew shallow. Most I've encountered never went deep with God. They settled for less than what God had intended for them. Just as no human is born into a mature state, also no Christian is born-again into a mature state. It takes TIME. We are all born-again as babes in Chrst and it is only through consistent, continual nourishment in God's word and through prayer (feeding and watering the roots) that we will eventually reach maturity. Many I've encountered over the years have small victories and then consider themselves spiritual giants. But that's just not how God works. Those victories along the way are just nibbles of what God has in store, IF you persist. Just as growing in our humanness comes with growing pains, so does growing in the Spirit. We must learn to crawl before we walk. We must learn to walk before we run. We must learn to run consistently in order to endure the marathon. All along the way, we will fall and become bruised and sore and we may even want to give up at times. But in striving for maturity, we allow God to pick us up and we carry on to the next phase. It is only when we've run the race to completion that we gain the prize - the incorruptible crown. Our only competition is ourself. God will measure your race based on how you ran the race. He will not measure you based on how your brother or sister ran their race. So stop comparing yourself to others. My calling is not yours and your calling is not mine. God created us as unique beings. Don't you think He'd have a unique plan for each life? 1 Corinthians 9:24-27 "Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain. And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible. As I was thinking about this and about how God grew me in faith over the years, my eyes settled on a plant sitting in my window, a Christmas cactus. That led me to think about my Mama who had an amazing green-thumb. Seriously - the woman could make anything grow and to abundance. She imparted her love of gardening and even some of her green-thumb gift to me. One thing that has fascinated me over the years is learning about the roots of plants and how they grow. Lets take this Christmas cactus for instance. When I got my first start of the plant from my sister a few years ago, as most people might do, I put it in a big pot of dirt, because I wanted it to grow big. But guess what? It almost died. I would water it and immediately, the water went deep into the pot. The small roots couldnt reach it. After some time, I pulled up the plant to inspect the roots, they were going to the side instead of down. In it's effort to find nourishment, the ROOTS GREW SHALLOW. They couldnt find the proper nourishment because they were looking in the wrong place. Then I remembered what Mama taught me. You start with a small pot. The small pot forces the roots to grow deep, before they branch out too wide. The deepness of the root, she taught me, stabilizes the plant above ground. Starting with a narrow pot forces the roots to go deep for proper nourishment. So I re-potted it into a much smaller pot, just as Mama said. In just a months time, the plant increased in size by at least 25%. After several months, the roots had reached the bottom and had spread to the edge. The plant on top was healthy and vibrant. It was time to re-pot it into a slightly bigger pot. I repeated the process. While the re-potting was stressful on the plant, it soon began to grow again. The roots eventually grew to the size of the new pot - down and then out. Each time the roots became strong and fixed and wrapped around each other in a ball - supporting each other - planted firmly. Above the soil the plant was firm, green, healthy and when it bloomed - oh my - it was just absolutely beautiful! I just kept watering, feeding and replanting. Water - feed - replant - repeat. You see, what happened when I dropped it into a pot that was too big, the roots tried to grow out before they went deep. So it wasnt able to reach the nourishment - the deep water - the deep morsels - that it needed to not only survive, but to thrive. By forcing the roots deep first - they grew strong and intermingled around each other. They supported each other. After they went deep - they were then able to branch out and ultimately, they became strong and bloomed. This is the same as our spiritual growth. Sometimes we plant ourselves in big pots. Instead of digging into the Word and knowing God, we often let distractions and busyness of serving get in the way. Or our only nourishment comes from the Sunday service. While it's amazing food, it's not enough spiritual food. We need nourishment - daily. If we dont get daily feedings, our roots grow out - leaning on others - instead of down into the real nourishment of knowing God Himself. Then when trials come - and they always do - we lose our way. Jesus warned of what happens when there's no deep root in Matthew, Chaper 13:20-21 " The seed falling on rocky ground refers to someone who hears the word and at once receives it with joy. But since THEY HAVE NO ROOT, they last only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall away." It's absolutely necessary to grow deep in the knowledge of God before we branch out too far - outside the breadth of our knowledge and understanding of who God is. Each time we allow God to go deep in us, purging the old man - raising up the new - HIS roots in us become strong and fixed and wrapped around each other. One truth builds upon another. This in turn builds the foundation of our faith. Each truth supporting the others. Then we become planted firmly in the faith and a supernatural knowledge of who God is. Above the soil - the outward man or women will be beautiful and will shine God's love - God will bloom through us. When this happens, it's absolutely beautiful! My friend, please don't begrudge the days of small beginnings. Zechariah 4:10 reads "Do not despise these small beginnings, for the Lord rejoices to see the work begin, to see the plumb line in Zerubbabel’s hand.” Let God Himself set your plumb line each time. Allow Him to re-pot you, so you will grow within His boundaries. Enjoy the journey. Verses to ponder: Job 8:11-19. "Can the papyrus grow up without a marsh? Can the rushes grow without water? "While it is still green and not cut down, Yet it withers before any other plant. "So are the paths of all who forget God; And the hope of the godless will perish" Job 14:9 "Though its roots grow old in the ground And its stump dies in the dry soil, At the scent of water it will flourish And put forth sprigs like a plant." Revelations 22:16 "I, Jesus, have sent My angel to testify to you these things for the churches I am the root and the descendant of David, the bright morning star." Isaiah 11:1-5 "Then a shoot will spring from the stem of Jesse, And a branch from his roots will bear fruit. The Spirit of the LORD will rest on Him, The spirit of wisdom and understanding, The spirit of counsel and strength, The spirit of knowledge and the fear of the LORD. And He will delight in the fear of the LORD, And He will not judge by what His eyes see, Nor make a decision by what His ears hear" Ephesians 3:14-21 Prayer for Spiritual Strength "14 For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, 15 from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, 16 that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, 17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love, 18 may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, 19 and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. 20 Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, 21 to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen." God bless, Allison Pelphrey
Comments