Monday, February 7, 2011

Growth


     As the snow is melting and Puxatony Phil declares that spring is not very far away . . .We too, as a church, are about to enter a season of growth. What comes to mind, when I think about growth, is the passage of Psalms 1, in particular about hw the Lord blesses this man’s faithfulness:

“Blessed is the man who walks not int he counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers; but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. In all that he does, he prospers.”

    Sometimes we get too caught up in wanting to grow, when the Lord may know that we are not ready. Each plant grows according to its own season, and its own biological clock – so is the life of the church.

     I believe growth is a good thing, and it shows that the Lord is blessing the faith of His people. It can also be a bad thing, when we focus too much on the numerical amount of growth instead of discipleship growth that Jesus calls us to. If we focus on the wrong things, our roots will be shallow and susceptible to the wailing of the winds. But a tree firmly planted along the streams (or closely meshed with God’s Word) . . .that’s when the Lord will allow us to prosper. 

     So continue to seek the Lord’s counsel in all things, and to dive deeply into His Word daily.