Secondary Growth

I have a small succulent garden in my kitchen window. I thought they were supposed to stay small and cute, and never really grow- they just looked perfect forever.

That is only the fake ones, apparently.

One of my favorites had actually grown so tall it was going to topple over or hit the glass above it. (My kitchen window actually juts out away from the house and has a couple shelves in it.)

So I took the top off and replanted it in a smaller container, hoping it would take root and grow again. And what do you know- it did!! I had done this before with a different one, so I figured this one would do it, too.

I noticed the other day when I was washing dishes, that another little plant was also growing in that same pot. Something I certainly did not plant, but there it was looking cute and healthy all the same. It looks a bit like one of the other plants I have in the window.

This made me think of my spiritual life.

I have been working on learning to better pray with scripture, and focusing on getting to know and enjoy Jesus rather than just checking the boxes of Bible reading and prayer. (Raise your hand if you’ve been there.)

This has dramatically changed my spiritual life!!

(I highly recommend reading Habits of Grace by David Mathis and then Transforming Prayer by Daniel Henderson.)

What I’ve noticed as I’ve been focusing on cultivating habits of praising God for who He is, learning His attributes, and enjoying Jesus, is that other spiritual fruit is popping up that I haven’t actively sought to plant.

This is the Holy Spirit’s work in my life! There is no other explanation. Good soil sets the stage for producing healthy growth, which then produces good fruit. And since Jesus is the gardener who prunes and waters and fertilizes, it shouldn’t surprise me that I see growth in other areas.

The scriptures are so clear about spiritual growth. We can work on certain things we think we need, and not even realize God is changing us in other areas. Sometimes growth is more easily measured by others seeing fruit in us than us recognizing it in ourselves.

The scripture tells us that God has given us everything we need for life and godliness. And then gives us a plan for growth. Focus on knowing God, and He will make you look more like Him- sometimes in ways you don’t even realize.

Praise the Lord He doesn’t leave us the way He found us, but invests in us and grows us when we are diligent in getting to know Him.

2 Peter 1:3-9
(3) According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue:
(4) Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.
(5) And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge;
(6) And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness;
(7) And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity.
(8] For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.
(9) But he that lacketh these things is blind, and cannot see afar off, and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins.