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Growth II: Watering

Writer's picture: Gracie BerneyGracie Berney

Updated: Aug 23, 2021

Spiritual growth is as vital to a Christian as water is to a plant. -GB


Hi friend and welcome back to another post.


Last week, we started a new series on Growth and part 1 was all about planting the seed. This week, the focus is going to be the next step which I call watering.


If you know me personally, then you know I love to watch plants grow. Something about spring and summer makes me excited; especially because my husband and I have a little garden we tend to.


However, one of the things I’ve come to realize about having a garden (among many other things) is that you have to water the plants. Watering is not as easy as you may think. Since owning a garden the last three years there are a few things I have learned about watering.

  1. Without water, plants will die.

  2. Not all plants require the same amount of watering

  3. Watering earlier in the day is better than later in the evening

Before I go into further details with the above points, let me lead you to 1 Cor 3:6-8 which states: "I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase. So then neither is he that planteth any thing, neither he that watereth; but God that giveth the increase. Now he that planteth and he that watereth are one: and every man shall receive his own reward according to his own labour."


While the above verses are not talking about watering a physical garden, I believe that Paul was talking about watering other young Christians.


Who is watering your life? And whose life are you currently watering?


Jesus is the ultimate gardner who takes care of our lives. He waters everyday and as long as we are plugged in to Him, we can stay hydrated. John 15:5 states: "I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing."


Back to my first point about how the absence of water will in fact result in the death of a plant. If you have been saved for some time now, then you should be helping to water others. Nurturing the faith of other younger Christians is a calling for everyone, not just for the Pastor and the elders of the Church. In fact, that is one thing I have learned from my current Pastor.


However, in order to be able to water the lives of young Christians, you have to be plugged to the source of living springs- which is Jesus. If He isn't pouring into your life, you will not have anything to offer others.


So the growth I'm talking about here isn't just a 1-dimensional thing. It's having a steady relationship with Christ that fills you up to the point that you are able to pour out into the lives of others (multi-dimensional).


The second lesson I learned about watering sounds simple, but is quite complex. When I first started watering the plants in our garden, I would just water till everything looked soaked. Sounds simple right? Well, I quickly learned this wasn't a good strategy as I also quickly learned about root rot which ends up causing the plant to die as well.


Spiritually, your life and the lives that you water are going to vary; and while both needs water, the amount will vary. 2 Peter 2:2 states "As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby" Babies do not drink 8 glasses of water per day, but their adult parents do (or should).


As you grow in your faith, the amount and quality of spiritual intake improves or at least it should. The principle should be the same with the people you water. Just like a baby desires milk, but an adult wants meat, so should our growth in Christ.


The third lesson I learned from watering is perhaps one of the most important and here's why. After we planted our garden the first year, I did not realize that the time of day you water is important. So most days, I would water in the evening after I got off work. About half way through the summer (when the humidity levels were also ridiculously high), some of the plants started dying. I tried to research what was happening only for my mother in love to tell me that the time of day I was watering was causing the problem.


So I switched to watering early in the morning/ earlier in the day. And just like that, the issue started to resolve. What I learned was that the plants needed the water earlier in the day and not late in the evening.


Spiritual growth is similar. The days that I get up, spend time in the word of God, pray... I am also able to use the things that He deposits in me to help others. When I try to do it late at night, a lot of times, I am already too tired to absorb all that He has for me.


If the only time you have to do your devotions are at night, this is not to discourage you or cause you to quit totally. I hope and pray this motivates you to find a way to get up earlier and do it first thing in the morning or at least early enough in the day so that you can help water others.


Conclusion

Spiritual growth is as vital to a Christian as water is to a plant. This week, I implore you to asses the watering situation in your life and the people around you. Ask yourself the following questions:


Am I hydrated spiritually? Enough to the point of watering others?

If no to the above questions, what is preventing me from doing so?


Challenge

Try to get up early (at least 3 days) this week

Find someone to water this week - Share a word of encouragement, warning/discernment... with someone.


Stay Blessed


Image credit:

Julian Paolo Dayag

Opmerkingen


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