Don't Limit Growth

Enlarge the place of your tent.…Isaiah 54:2

A friend was talking to me about how uncomfortable change is.  Yes, I think the majority of us like for our lives to be structured, all laid out in a nice little routine.

However, this does not fit the plan of our Creator God, who likes us to be flexible and ready for change.  He wants us to be dynamically moving, full of life.

A good visual image is that of a plant in a pot too small for it.  Its roots are bound; you can see them straining against the bottom opening of the container. The plant will remain alive, but it will be stagnate.

 The plant will not continue to grow all bound up in this pot; it will need to be transplanted into a different container of new soil.  To reach its potential, the plant will need a proper balance of water and food.  There might be a short time of shock while the plant adjusts, but in time (with proper care) the plant will begin to flourish, putting forth shoots of new life.

The average human is like the bound up plant--alive, but not growing to their potential.  We can become so accustomed to the tight fit of our “self-made” scheduled life that fear sets in at the thought of change.  This will halt any growth potential that might be waiting for us.

In order to cultivate new life, we have to get out of the boxed routine and allow our roots to branch out in a new environment.  The preliminary step is the decision to yield to something different; making up our mind that change will benefit our existence. 

Initial preparation will profit the success of the situation.  Prayer to our Creator and meditation in His Word will assure that proper choices are made. 

After the change is made, continued consultation with the Master Gardner of life, and daily reading in His Growth Manual (Bible) will enhance the new growth.

Look For Blessings

The blessing of the LORD makes rich, and He adds no sorrow with it.  Proverbs 10:22

Each day in our lives presents opportunity to give and receive blessing. The power of blessing can be overlooked if little value is given to its worth.

There are plenty of negatives in the world in which to put focus. All one has to do is turn on the daily news to witness the latest atrocities. Hate and greed are promoting growth of rampant fear and pain in our society. 

The low-keyed, gentle voice of blessing is often overlooked amidst the screaming sound of desperate conditions on this fast-paced earth, but…blessings still exist

 Daily blessings of God’s divine kind are regularly over-looked and unappreciated.  These blessings are manifested through gestures of loving hearts: genuine smiles, generous acts of kindness, and gentle, healing words.

The results (good or bad) obtained in life depend largely on how one perceives and reacts to surrounding circumstances. Giving intent focus to any problem gives enormity and strength to it that will distress the soul.  However, acknowledgement and sharing of blessings puts out a positive impression that reacts in an exponential way to soothe hurting souls.

It is a Biblical, spiritual principle that a person literally draws back to themselves what they put out in the atmosphere…whatever a man sows, that he will also reap (Galatians 6:5).

As we acknowledge, and give intentional practice to our Creator’s planned “love way” of living, we will witness the divine blessing flow through lives.

The victory of healing.

Look after each other so that none of you fails to receive the grace of God. Watch out that no poisonous root of bitterness grows up to trouble you, corrupting many. Hebrews 12:15

I am very grateful for my life; I wasn't always appreciative like this.  For decades I harbored unforgiveness, usually putting the blame of my defeat as others’ responsibility. Over time, this manifested into a bitterness that literally poisoned my body, soul, and spirit.

It is easy to point the finger of blame toward someone else.  We don’t have to look far in our life to find a human being who has let us down, who has wronged us in ways “we don’t deserve”.

The victory of healing begins when we take responsibility for our own responses to those “wrongs”.  The choices we have made in the past (led by incorrect thinking) virtually placed us into our present position, but…we can now choose to forgive, to let go of destructive hurts that have festered into open wounds of ugliness.

Toxin is eliminated from our very being when the root of resentment toward others is pulled up from our heart (Jesus will help you).  When forgiveness replaces this pent-up bitterness, a spring of love will begin to flow, and life will begin to proceed into an indescribable peacefulness, the way our Creator intended.