Grow: Striving For Maturity

In the previous few posts, I've been talking about the process of being rooted in the faith. The rooting process starts when a person encounters the word of God and ends when the person's is depending on God. The parable of the sower shows that this process may begin several times before the word of God finally does take root. But when it does, watch out!

I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. - Ephesians 3:16-19 

After being rooted, a new plant itself has all the tools it needs to draw nourishment from the sun and soil, in order to grow. Leaves develop and multiply. Roots spread and seek. Stems become sturdy and branch. Some quickly, others at a more measured pace, but all stretching up to the sun and down to the soil.

Likewise, as believers, when we begin to draw upon the resources of God, we begin to recognize the vastness of God, his love, and its power to change us at a fundamental level. This power ignites growth, as the ramifications of new life in Christ begin to work their way out.

Growth has a goal. For a plant, the goal is maturity: the condition where that plant will produce fruit; each fruit with seeds; and each seed representing new life. It's sun-given energy is not for hanging around the garden, but for producing the next generation. For a believer, the goal is the 'fullness of God' or, as it says in other places in the Bible, the 'image of the Messiah'. The fullness leads to fruitfulness (Gal. 5:22-23), with the fruit acting as seed bearers, and each seed the word of God for new life.

My spiritual life is sometimes like the life of a confused plant: lots of resources, but no direction; no goal.  Just hanging around, just existing. Need a little reorientation; a little refocusing on the real goal: changing lives.

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. - John 15:2