SA Time to Grow
Ahh, can you smell it? Summertime is in the air. Such a beautiful time of the year! Things are changing all around us. Dark, dull gray colors of winter have been transformed into crisp, new green and bright, vivid colors of springtime. Baby animals are being welcomed into the world. Flowers and plants have come alive. The time has come to plant our gardens.
Have you ever really looked at a seed and wondered how such a small, fragile thing can make such a distinct transformation? What about that nervous, new Christian? Where did that other person go? That fragile little seed is similar to that new Christian. They both are transformed into something totally amazing! In order for such a transformation to be complete, they both need some help from five elements.
1. LIGHT They both need some type of light source to help them develop into beautiful mature beings. Seeds need energy from sunlight to help them grow. The sunlight shows the seeds which direction they need to grow. Christians also need “Son”light to help lead them in the right direction. Psalm 119:105 tells us that this “Son” light guides us along life’s path.
2. WATER Seeds must be watered regularly. The seeds absorb the water and store it within their seed coats. If they don’t get enough, they dry up and die. Too much water will drown them. Christians need water too in order to survive both physically and spiritually. Our bodies need water physically to keep us hydrated. John 4:14 says, “but whoever drinks the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” Christians are baptized and are given living water that satisfies their eternal thirst.
3. SOIL Soil is a seed’s foundation which supplies it with all the nutrients it needs to grow into a healthy plant. Ephesians 2:19-20 explains that a Christian’s “soil” is a spiritual foundation. It’s built on the foundation of apostles and prophets and has Christ as the chief cornerstone.
In Matthew 13:1-23, Jesus talks about the Parable of the Soils (Parable of the Sower). It talks about seeds being planted in four different types of soils. The seeds do not grow in the first three soils. The fourth soil was different. The seed takes root and transforms into a fruit-bearing plant.
The Sower is God and the seed represents the Word of God. The different soils represent different types of people and how they respond to the Gospel. The hard soil represents people whose heart is hardened and show no interest in the Gospel. The rocky or stony soil is someone who is aware of the Gospel but doesn’t have faith strong enough to stand. The thorny soil is a person who has received the Gospel but has too many idols or distractions to stay focused on the truth of God’s Word. The good soil is someone who hears the Gospel. They allow it to take root and grow within their lives. This person bears good fruit – thus, representing true salvation.
4. TIME A seed needs time to grow into a mature plant that can be cultivated and harvested. Being a Christian takes time also. A new Christian needs time to grow and mature just like the seed. All Christians need time to study God’s Word and to develop an intimate relationship with God. They need time to meet and fellowship with other Christians.
5. TEMPERATURE Temperature has a physical effect on seeds and plants. If it’s too hot, the seed may not get enough water to help it grow. If it’s too cold, it can delay the germination of the seeds and they will stay dormant. Christians are affected by temperature differently. They are affected spiritually. When a Christian becomes lukewarm or even cold, they may turn away from God instead of getting closer to Him.
Christians can be alive but not growing like seeds. They may be in a dormant state, having grown spiritually cold. Although they have the Spirit within them, no one can actually tell it from the outside. Christians may not have made Christ the Lord of their lives or allowed the Holy Spirit to have control of their lives. Some Christians may have little or no desire, to study God’s Word or even pray. Their lives become barren and bear no leaves, flowers, or fruits. There is NO evidence that they are even alive.
It’s never too late to have a personal relationship with Christ. You can plant your SEED foundation and allow it to grow.
SEEK a relationship with Christ
EXPLORE what God can offer you
EXPERIENCE wonderful agape love from God himself
DEVELOP that intimate relationship with Christ.
Your SEED has been planted, now watch as the Sower (God) transforms it into something beautiful.