Godly Organic
In my Heartllight.org post this week, called “Godly Organic,” I share the “Spirit-natural” principle that we are made to live and grow. It is who and how God made us to be. When we don’t grow, we know that something is wrong. Yet so often, we settle for just treading water spiritually. The power behind this growth, however, can be found in the prayer we offer for each other and the power of God released to empower us toward this growth:
For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you. We continually ask God … so that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might (Colossians 1:9-11).
So I want to challenge you to ask yourself a few questions about your own personal growth in the Lord and commit yourself to praying for your brothers and sisters in Christ and releasing the power of God into their lives.
How has God continued to fashion you to be more like Jesus?
Can you say that God is re-creating life in you out of the barrenness and scars of your past life?
What is a sign of growth, God’s power, at work in you?
I’d love to hear your response to these questions!
Good morning, Phil–
This Monday morning offering is a WOW! Your analogy is perfect and so very encouraging.
I am 87 now and find great pleasure in life and the fact that I am still green and growing. As with your today’s offering, I learn and absorb something new every day in the area of spiritual growth. I consider that, by the grace of God, these are the most productive of my life. I have just had a book of contemporary Christian essays published, Our Whirling World: To Be In It, but Not Of It.
To God be the glory now and forever.
May God continue to bless you as you serve Him so faithfully.
In Jesus,
Aline Edson
Aline Edson
22 Sep 08 at 6:42 am
God’s Blessings to you, Phil. I am learning to truly love like Jesus did. That is how I am continuing to grow. Each day brings new blessings and I am so overjoyed. I had been out of sorts lately, but with prayers and petitions and longings poured our to our God, He answers simply, “Love me.” That’s it. And I do, I love God and worship him and I give him all the glory and praise.
Let Go and Let God!
Catalina
Catalina
22 Sep 08 at 7:01 am
Good Morning Phil,
Thank you so much for your analogy. It\’s no accident that God\’s physical and spiritual creations share so many similarities. Just as creation groans for relief and the return of the kingdom so I find my soul crying for a return to what God created me to be. As a landscaper specializing in organics and a Christian seeking to live in the radical foortsteps of my Lord Jesus I know that each day brings the opportunity to become more like him.
In my work I often find soils(and customers)worn out from the quick fixes for the weeds and problems of life (as one in recovery from addiction I know that chemicals are often used in either case). I\’m reminded how Jesus addressed this issue in the parable of the sower. Just as I teach others to care for their earth in the manner God intended (i.e. eliminating human \"additives\" and finding God\’s natural balance) so I allow God to return balance to my life. After all, what kind of soil am I?
MAybe it\’s more difficult in an urban environment to understand but when I quit allowing others to walk all over my values (the beaten path) and start living as a citizn on an earthly kingdom I find Gopd\’s word blowing away. When I stop tending my soil with my prayer, meditation, and community with other followers of Jesus I begin to get clogged up with worries ab out what the world thinks. There\’s not much room for flowers and fruit among the brambles. I know for certain if I begin to think I have everything figured out that I become incredibly closed-minded to the inner workings of the Spirit and from the guidance of other brothers and sisters in the Lord. I lose out on so much.
I still have problems tilling my \"soil\", I still look for quick fixes and continue to reap (or not) the consequences. But since starting on the conversion journey with Jesus I get better daily at letting God\’s spirit bring about balance and I\’ve even become a better sower – just as the soils I work with need amending I\’m learning to love a little better each day and serve others so that they too can share in the harvest.
One opf the things I always hear from customers is how amazed they are at how much easier organic gardens are and how much they produce compared to their neighbors. I always smile and thatk God for another opportunity…
Have a blesssed day Phil,
Greg
Greg Joel
22 Sep 08 at 1:58 pm
Hi, I’ve been feeling really discouraged lately. For a long time now there have been oppressive things happening to me in the church where I fellowship. In all this time I have always tried to forgive and overlook these things, my greatest desire being to remain in the will of God and not to allow room for rebellion. This condescending and oppressive behaviour has been coming from the senior leadership and for fear of going asstray without a clear word from the Lord I have remained in this church from over six years now.
Recently I had a really ugly incident with a senior member of the church and since then I have really been struggling to put it behind me. I am at the point where I feel that I have had enough and I do not want to go back there.
I really love the Lord and I need some Godly advice on how to deal with this because my decisions impact on my family as well as other members of the church who look to me as a role model.
Trevor
23 Sep 08 at 5:51 am
Good Evening Phil,
Thank you for another excellent article! Wow! The articles you have written have really blessed me greatly and have caused me to pause and give thought to some important questions. I enjoy reading the great responses that others post here as well as reading and pondering your amazing insights. Sometimes we get so busy with daily life and so worn down by the cares of the world that we forget what\’s really important. This is certainly true in my own life!
Having been dealing with chronic illness and pain over the past 10 years, sometimes I get very discouraged and feel that my life lacks purpose anymore. I have been disabled due to illness and on disability the past 8 years. Prior to this, I worked as a nurse on a surgical ward for 20 years. I felt that God had called me to a career in nursing and I enjoyed my job, though it was often very stressful and we were often short-staffed due to cutbacks. The unit where I worked was very busy and fast-paced. I often felt badly that I did not have enough time to spend with each of my patients, especially those who were lonely, frightened or struggling with serious illnesses, and patients who were dying and were afraid and needed someone to sit and talk with them or to hold their hand and comfort them. Some days, I would leave work and go home to my family feeling very frustrated and discouraged over not being able to meet all the needs of my patients and their families due to lack of time and being stretched so thin. There are days even now, when I think back to those days with feelings of regret because I was unable to do more for my patients. Some days, I feel however, that God is telling me that I did the best I could under difficult circumstances. My nursing career may be over, but I need to look for other ways in which I can be of service to God and to those He loves.
I do feel that struggling with my own health problems over the years has given me more compassion for others who are dealing with difficult circumstances and I try harder to be more understanding and supportive and to demonstrate God\’s love towards others. I believe that my relationship with Christ has helped me to see others the way He sees them and to try my best to treat people the way He would treat them…with compassion and understanding. There are so many hurting people in this world. So many who are lost and looking to worldly things to find contentment, peace and happiness. I try now to spend more time praying for the needs of others and for the spiritually lost. Over the years, I have joined some prayer groups which have been a great blessing and I spend more time reading and meditating on God\’s Word and reading books written by Christian authors which have helped me in my spiritual growth. Because of my illnesses, I am not able to attend church as often as I would like to or to get out as much as I used to as my health has deteriorated more over the years and my husband is now struggling with chronic illnesses as well as our elderly parents. I ask God daily to help me to see opportunities to serve Him and to serve others. Even if I can\’t get out of the house, I can always give someone a call or send them a card or an uplifting devotional or email or say a prayer for them.
I am thankful that God is changing me, even though there are days when its hard for me to see these changes. I try to remember that I\’m still a work in progress and am thankful that His mercies are new every morning!
God bless you, Phil, as you continue to faithfully serve Him!
Glenda
Glenda
23 Sep 08 at 6:19 pm