Growing Deeperfeatured

At the beginning of a new year some people choose a word to use as inspiration for the year.  I have never done that, but this year God put the word “grow” on my heart.  I don’t know if grow will be the theme for the year, but it is the focus of this devotional! 

We all know that to grow spiritually we need to read and study God’s Word, pray, and worship with other believers. These disciplines provide our basic spiritual food and water (or milk!). 1 Peter 2:2-3 says, “Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation, now that you have tasted that the Lord is good.” 

The thing is – we are not supposed to stay babies, we are called to mature in our faith. The apostle Paul tells us not to be infants “tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful scheming. Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ” (Ephesians 4:14-15).

This painting is titled “Grow.”  I didn’t paint a lush garden that looks like it receives fertilizer and water regularly.  Instead I created a plant pushing up out of rocky soil and suggestions of roots trying to make their way deep into soil in search of nutrients and water.

When my circumstances are going well and problems seem to be few and small, for a brief time I might look like a lush garden – but one tended by a lazy gardener.  Satan has tendency to trick me into thinking that I can ease up on the Bible study and prayer. The deceiver tells me to just ask God to bless my plans instead of surrendering to God’s plans.  As a result, my spiritual roots wither and become shallow – incapable of handling the inevitable storms of life.

I have heard it said that the best grapes for wine-making are grown on vines planted in poor, rocky soil. The vines have to dig deep into the soil and branch out to find the nutrients and water needed to grow.  These vines are often able to withstand drought and unfavorable conditions because of their strong root systems. Best of all, their fruit is full of intense flavor.

I suspect that James, the brother of Jesus, may have known something about grapevines.  In James 1:2-4 he says, “Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.”  I think James is encouraging us to dig deep like grapevines and strengthen our spiritual roots.

Whether our circumstances are ideal or absolutely horrible, we are called to grow deep into our faith.  Paul gives us a beautiful picture of that process in a prayer for the church in Colossae.

 “We continually ask God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives, so that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, and giving joyful thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of his holy people in the kingdom of light” (Colossians 1:9-12).

Jesus knew a thing or two about grapevines and described a vineyard in John 15:1-4, “I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful. You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you.  Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.”

Could it be that these verses hold the secret to how to grow deep spiritual roots?  As our vine, Jesus’ roots are deep and strong and eternal.  If we cling to him in all circumstances and faithfully follow the path of his roots, our roots inter-twine with his and are strengthened. Jesus assure us of the outcome in v.5, “If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit.” 

That sweet, flavorful fruit not only enriches our lives, but we are called to freely nourish those around us by sharing the fruit’s life-giving provisions.  

Let’s all commit to growing deeper this year. May our roots be strengthened through Christ and our fruit be plentiful!