The Wonder of Growth

Growth.

So simple, and yet, so complicated. We grow from infant, to child, to adolescent, to adult. A tree transforms from seed, to sapling, to towering oak. We witness it every day, so much so that the wonder of growth is often lost.

The growth of a living thing is, however, a wondrous process. Whatever it is, nutrients have to be absorbed from its environment, incorporated into itself, and added to what is already present. It's extraordinary, really. So many things have to fall in place at just the right time in just the right order.

It's almost miraculous, really.

It goes beyond physical growth.

We grow in other ways as well. We grow in our understanding of our surroundings, our place in our environment, our abilities, our limitations. We learn how to care for ourselves, others, and the very environment in which we live. We learn how to solve problems (and create a few!), consider the future, and apply lessons from the past.

We also grow spiritually. As we experience God through His Word, prayer, fellowship with other believers, and God's working in our lives we grow in our knowledge and understanding of Him. Our faith increases as we mature and realize how truly dependent on Him we really are, and our desire to serve Him expands as we see Him for who He truly is.

Growth is not spontaneous.

Without the proper nutrients, nothing will grow. Withhold water, and that small sapling will wither and die. Denied food, a child's growth will be stunted. Without the Sun, plants become sickly and weak.

So it is with our spiritual growth. Unless properly nurtured and maintained, our spiritual selves will never reach maturity. If we fail to invest, we shall never hope to harvest. Or, if you prefer, we shall indeed reap what we sow.

Grow every day.

To everything, there is a season. Each crop grows in its time, becomes mature, and is harvested for its bounty. Seeds from that harvest are set aside to be planted in their time, and so the wondrous cycle begins anew.

When our season is through, what will our harvest be? What fruit will we have produced? Will we have multiplied threefold, tenfold, a hundredfold? Will our Master's basket be overflowing from the fruit of our labors?

Only if we continue to grow. Only if we take what He gives us, eat what He sets before us, absorb our portion of Him into ourselves, adding to what He has already given us, and continue to grow. Each and every day.