Spiritual Growth
How do we grow spiritually? How does God conform us to the image of His Son, Jesus? What is our responsibility, if any?
We can find the answers to these questions by examining growth in the physical world. The natural world reveals the qualities and attributes of God (Romans 1:20). Observing growth in nature helps us understand growth in the spiritual realm. Understanding the principles of spiritual growth help us partner with the Lord in our development.
The Garden Heart
The human heart is like a garden. A garden can be well-tended, or not. A garden can have a wide variety of plants, or not. The Christian heart is a garden that the master Gardener has assumed responsibility for. His goal is to plant and cultivate the most beautiful garden possible. The idea is that this garden will manifest fruit for His kingdom (John 15:5).
Until we turn to the Lord, the garden of the human heart remains untended and wild. Growing in it are both wheat and tares. This wheat is Christ-likeness. Tares are evil thoughts, desires, and behaviors - the work of the enemy.
When we turn toward the Lord, we assume an identity as pure and righteous sons of God. However, we can become frustrated when our thinking patterns, desires, and actions are still not where we would like them to be? What is the problem?
The problem is that there are established plants in the garden - some beneficial, some bad. God cannot just remove the bad without threatening what is already good within us. Instead, He is strategic about his removal of the weeds. He will allow both the good and the bad to grow within us, until the proper time. This principal is illustrated in the parable of the wheat and tares:
Matthew 13:24-30 (NIV) “Jesus told them another parable: ‘The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field. But while everyone was sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat, and went away. When the wheat sprouted and formed heads, then the weeds also appeared. The owner’s servants came to him and said, ‘Sir, didn’t you sow good seed in your field? Where then did the weeds come from?’ An enemy did this, ‘ he replied. The servants asked him, ‘Do you want us to go and pull them up?’ 'No, he answered, ‘because while you are pulling the weeds, you may uproot the wheat with them. Let both grow together until the harvest. At that time I will tell the harvesters: First collect the weeds and tie them in bundles to be burned; then gather the wheat and bring it into my barn.’”
Jesus explains this parable as a description of the “end of the age.” However, parables are multi-dimensional and open to layers of interpretation. In this parable, the field is the human heart, the seed is the Word of God, the enemy is the devil, the wheat is the fruit of the Spirit, and the weeds are the mindsets and behaviors of the flesh.
Harvest Time
What will we feel at harvest time? We will become aware of both the wheat and the tare that God is trying to harvest and bring in to manifestation. For example, when God is trying to reveal to us our purity, we may feel temptations or inclinations towards the opposite. When God is actively trying to manifest patience in our lives, we will be challenged with impatience. This is because the wheat and the tares will always be harvested together. They cannot be removed independently, because they have grown up together. When the harvest does occur, we will feel an “upgrade” in certain areas of our spiritual growth. There will be an outward manifestation of God’s power and presence in our lives.
At this point, God is ready to plant new and exciting seeds in the space left from the previous harvest. These seeds grow in the soil left by the last harvest. These seeds are beliefs, Christ-like attributes, rich fruit of the Spirit, or spiritual giftings- some of which we may never have dreamed were even possible. The master Gardener then sets out to cultivate this new seed with sunlight, which is the truth of God (2 Corinthians 4:6), and living water, which is the Holy Spirit (John 7:38).
This is when we are called to partner with what the master Gardener is doing. We can protect the growth within us by abiding in Christ, actively choosing to pursue relationship with Him. Failure to do so stunts our growth and allows new weeds to grow, which choke out God’s work within us. The more we actively abide in God, the faster we will grow to become like Him.
The reward of spiritual growth is that we become more like Him. We begin to think more and more like Jesus. When we think more like Jesus, we will act more like Jesus, and receive the blessings of heaven.
Trees
Some plants in our our garden will grow into trees and not require harvesting:
Matthew 13:31-32 (NIV) “He told them another parable: ‘The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and planted in his field. Though it is the smallest of all seeds, yet when it grows, it is the largest of the garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds come and perch in its branches.”
Trees are truly mature works accomplished by the Lord in our lives. These are spiritual qualities, attitudes, and mindsets that have reached full maturity and require no harvesting. Instead, birds will perch in them. These “birds” are revelation from heaven. Those who have great authority and revelation have grown many trees in their hearts. Trees grow from focus, experience, patience, and persistence.
Diversity and Variety
God is interested in us becoming well-rounded in Him. He is more interested in us becoming Christ-like in all areas of our hearts, rather than us “specializing” in one particular area. Thus, we will have many different seasons of growth. One day, the Lord is working on one area of our hearts, the next a different. He may work on one or two areas for weeks, then abruptly shift to a different area. The Lord is ensuring we are well-rounded within. If one plant grows too much, it will prevent light from shining on other plants in the garden.
Perhaps we have met men and women who are “specialists.” They have profound giftings or attributes in a particular area, but other areas of their character remain woefully underdeveloped. It may be obvious. Usually, this comes as a result of us wanting to control areas of growth in the heart. Surrender is not complete. Growth can be painful. If we want to avoid pain, we will also avoid growth. We must be willing to let the Lord address areas of pain in our hearts. It will be worth the process.
Christ Formed in Us
The goal of the Lord’s work in us is that we become like Him, reflecting His character and nature to the world. God is a patient God. Spiritual growth happens slowly. We cannot rush the Lord’s process within us, but we can prepare for and steward His work. Our role is to actively abide in Christ by pursuing His truth. As we abide, He is the one who does the work in us. The end result is a harvest of righteousness, the fruit of the Spirit, and a flow of God’s empowering grace in and through our lives.
