Keys to Spiritual Growth

When I was a little girl, my grandparents had a huge garden with rolls of green beans, corn, squash, and more. There were trees throughout the yard that boasted green apples, pears, peaches, and plums. One year, we even had one of my favorite fruits, watermelon. I begged my grandma to plant watermelon, and finally, she did! I learned to break beans and shuck corn and watched my grandma can food for the winter. At the time, I didn’t love the garden or garden food. My misery didn’t allow me to enjoy it. Anytime I went outside, my eyes would swell, water and get really itchy. My allergies were so bad that my school called home thinking I had pink eye. Because the garden provoked the misery or my horrible allergies, I was distracted from the fun of the garden. Now that I’m older and the allergies aren’t near as bad, I enjoy a piece of garden life.

I haven’t ventured into growing food, but love to grow roses. As I spend time caring for them, I’m reminded of several keys to spiritual growth. I grow many kinds and colors, from vibrant pinks to pale yellows and lavenders to red to coral. Just as each plant produces the beautiful flower in season, we are all unique in our seasons of spiritual growth.

Let’s compare the care and nurture required by the roses (and other plants), to come up with some keys to spiritual growth for ourselves. To be clear, having a relationship with Jesus and practicing the basic spiritual disciplines of prayer, fasting, and Bible study will lead to spiritual growth. However, we are going to determine other ways to deepening our spiritual roots.

I love to garden and I know what flowers need to grow and flourish and we need some of the same things to help us grow and flourish in the Lord.

Just as growth is essential for my roses to thrive, spiritual growth is essential for the life of a believer. Plants never stay at the same developmental stage. They’re either growing, dormant, or dying; they are either digging their roots deep or facing the elements with exposed roots; they are either spending time in the sun or suffering in the dark. Likewise, we should can’t stay at the same spiritual stage of development. To bloom and to prepare for the storms of life, we have to be spiritually growing. The person who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence indeed is the Lord, is blessed. She will be like a tree planted by water: it sends its roots out toward a stream, it doesn’t fear when heat comes, and its foliage remains green. It will not worry in a year of drought or cease producing fruit (Jer. 17:7-8).

1. Roses need the sun/the light to live. Like a rose, we need the Son to live. We must have a relationship with the Jesus…our salvation/life is from Him. There is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to people by which we must be saved (Acts 4:12). Our relationship with Jesus should impact every part of our life. A flower can’t just say that it knows the sun and stay in the shade. To bloom, the flower must spend time basking in the light of the sun. In the same way, we need to spend time with the Son in order to bloom spiritually. We can’t expect to bloom if we’re hanging out in the dark. We need to spend time in the light of our Lord. Dedicating time with the Lord is key to spiritual growth.

2. Plants can’t survive without water. Have you ever forgotten to water a plant? It doesn’t usually take long for an un-watered plant to begin looking pitiful. The leaves begin to wither, and get dry and crunchy. The leaves quickly fall off and the plant dies. As such, we must be filled with Living Water, aka, The Holy Spirit. (We receive the Holy Spirit once we accept Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross on our behalf and accept Him as Lord and Savior.) Without the Holy Spirit, we don’t produce fruit. When we don’t actively listen and obey the Spirit, we become dry and stagnant and lack spiritual growth. On the last and most important day of the festival, Jesus stood up and cried out, “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink. The one who believes in me, as the Scripture has said, will have streams of living water flow from deep within him.” He said this about the Spirit. Those who believed in Jesus were going to receive the Spirit, for the Spirit had not yet been given because Jesus had not yet been glorified (John 7:37-39). We grow spiritually when we listen and obey the Spirit.

3. Roses require pruning and weeding to grow and bloom. Pruning cuts off the dead parts of the rose, so that the plant’s energy can be used to produce new flowers. We have to consider if there are dead things that we are holding onto. Are there habits or lifestyles that are keeping us from bearing fruit? Do we have unrepentant sin? What about unhealthy relationships? Is there anything at all keeping us from growing closer to God? A key to spiritual growth is identifying and removing things that are getting between us and God. Every branch in me that does not produce fruit he removes, and he prunes every branch that produces fruit so that it will produce more fruit (John 15:2).  

Weed Prevention is a Must to Grow Spiritually

4. I went on vacation for Spring Break and it rained at home nearly the entire time we were away. As you can guess, I came home to blooming roses…and…lots and lots of weeds. There were so many weeds that you would have thought someone had planted them! But the thing is, we don’t have to plant weeds for them to take over. The weeds may be sown by us or by our enemy, but they often take root without much help. But while people were sleeping, his enemy came, sowed weeds among the wheat, and left (Matt. 13:25). We actually have to proactively prevent them and guard against them. Weeds prevent plants from growing, but removing the weeds that compete with the plant for the nutrients, water, and space gives the plant room to grow. Weeds prevent us from growing spiritually as they distract us from God and His plans. Unforgiveness is one weed that can be difficult to pull, once it’s rooted. Yet, the seed of His Word is choked out by weeds and thorns, such as unforgiveness. As for the seed that fell among thorns, these are the ones who, when the have heard, go on their way and are choked with worries, riches, and pleasures of life, and produce no mature fruit (Lk. 8:14). We often take steps of spiritual growth by cutting down weeds, such as bitterness, greed and selfishness. While cutting down the weeds is a great start, we must remember that a weed needs to be removed from the root or it will grow back. Once removed, a barrier needs to be put in place to keep the weed from returning. Pray to God and talk with a Christian friend about what kind of barrier will keep your weed from making another appearance. The prompt removal of weeds is necessary for the garden and our spiritual lives to thrive. We must guard our hearts to prevent weeds from taking root and popping up in our spiritual lives. Guard your heart above all else, for it is the source of life (Proverbs 4:23).

5. Just as a plant must to be examined in order to determine what care it needs, we must take a real look at where we are spiritually to determine how we may grow. Self-examination is a key to spiritual growth. We aren’t prepared to grow spiritually if we don’t know where we are now. We must determine where we are with the Lord and if our actions are a reflection of His work in our lives. Let’s examine and probe our ways, and turn back to the Lord (Lam. 3:40). We must also examine our work and determine our motives. We have to determine if we are working for the glory of God. Let each person examine his own work, and then he can take pride in himself alone, and not compare himself with someone else (Gal. 6:4). It is not only important for us to examine ourselves and our work, but is also necessary to ask God to examine us. As God’s dearly loved daughter, I get to ask Him to examine me and my motives and to bring to my attention anything within me that is not in line with His character and will. Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my concerns. See if there is any offensive way in me; lead me in the everlasting way (Ps. 139:23-24). Likewise, we must examine our lives to be sure there is no unrepentant sin.  Remember then how far you have fallen; repent, and do the works you did at first (Rev. 2:5a).

Deep Roots Lead to a Strong Spiritual Foundation

6. Plants must have deep roots to thrive and grow and we must deepen our spiritual roots to thrive and grow spiritually. My little helpers often help me plant new flowers in the spring. When they were younger, they didn’t understand the importance of planting the roots deep and would occasionally leave the roots out of the dirt and exposed to the elements. Most of the time, I noticed and would plant the flower deeper. But whenever I missed one the plant died because the roots were too shallow. We need to be deeply rooted in the truth of God’s Word to keep us steady when the elements of life come our way. Deep calls to deep in the roar of your waterfalls; all your breakers and your billows have swept over me (Ps. 42:7). Our God is so deep; from within His depth, He calls to the depth of our souls as He reveals Himself to us. We must be rooted in faith, not giving in to doubt and fear. …being rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, and overflowing with gratitude (Col. 2:7). The basis of our root system is God and His great love. As we grow in knowing God through His Word and prayer, we also grow in acceptance and understanding of God’s love, and our spiritual roots deepen. …and that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. I pray that you, being rooted and firmly established in love… (Ephesians 3:17).

7. Have you ever watched a bee work in the garden? It’s fascinating to watch as she buzzes around the flower working her magic for her own benefit and the benefit of the flower. As a bee has fellowship with a flower, natural pollination and blooming occurs. Like a rose needs fellowship with a bee, we need fellowship with other believers. We need the encouragement and accountability of others who trust God and who study and know His Word. Iron sharpens iron, and one person sharpens another (Prov. 27:17). God created us to be in community with one another. And let us consider one another in order to provoke love and good works, not neglecting to gather together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging each other, and all the more as you see the day approaching (Heb. 10:24-25).

8. As you know, roses and other plants go dormant during the winter and in times of stress. During this time of dormancy, the growth and development of the plant temporarily stops to give the plant time to store up energy. Like a plant, we need times of rest and restoration in the Lord. It is important to make time to rest, pray and reflect/meditate on God’s Word/truth. However, unlike a plant, we should continue growing during seasons of rest. For the believer, times of rest are not used to stop growing spiritually or to save up energy, but are used to focus our energy on Jesus and are beneficial to spiritual growth as we learn to listen and depend on God. Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, he got up, went out, and made his way to a deserted place; and there he was praying (Mark 1:35).

Plants are at various stages of development. They range in size and their branches and blooms are as unique as we are. God is not disappointed in the unique way that we are growing. He knows that we are at different stages of spiritual growth. Our experiences are unique and we’re growing in unique ways…what is important is that we are growing. I would love to hear from you! How are you growing in God and deepening your roots? Which of the keys to spiritual growth are you working on at this time?