Are You Growing or Withering?

I don't have much of a green thumb. In fact, I can guarantee you that if I receive a plant of any kind, it will be dead within 72 hours. Giving me a plant is like condemning it to death. I just don't have a way with plants.

One thing I do know is that plants require two things: water and sunshine. Without these essential elements, the plant will wither and die. With them, the plant can thrive and grow, often times producing fruit.

The Christian life is the same way, for it, too, requires two things: the Bible and prayer. Without them, the Christian life will wither and die. With them, the Christian can thrive and grow, often times producing fruit. Isn't the similarity astounding?

Another similarity between plants and Christians is that it takes time for "the seed" to grow into what it's meant to be. When you first plant a seed, it may be weeks or even months before you see any evidence of change in that seed. You've watered it. You've given it plenty of sun. But, still, you see no results. Sometimes the Christian life is that way. We read our Bible and pray, but we still don't see the growth we long for. Just as with the plant, what we don't see is the change that is occurring under the surface.

Are you frustrated today because you don't see the growth in your Christian walk that you would like to see? Are you questioning your usefulness because it seems that you haven't made a difference in this world? Are you despairing of ever seeing fruit for your labors? If so, I beg of you, don't quit taking care of your seed. Nourish it. Water it with the Word. Expose it to the light of God's truth and goodness. And then, when you least expect it, you'll see the beginnings of the growth you've longed for. But, be warned. If you forsake the care of your seed, it will wither and die. The choice is yours. Choose wisely!