Flourish: Creating Space to ThriveSample

Celebrating Growth

Something round, and green, and very tiny caught my eye as I meandered through my garden beds one summer morning. I leaned in for a closer look. Peering back at me was our first cherry tomato.

My breath caught, and I smiled. Such a small piece of fruit, yet so full of promise.

While I stood staring, it was as if God showed up in my garden. Look how excited you are over that tiny tomato, He spoke to my heart. You can’t eat it yet—it’s nowhere near ripe. Yet you’re thrilled to see your plant’s growth.

Why don’t you think I respond similarly when I see small growth in your life?

You’re so frustrated when you fail to live up to your expectations, and you assume I feel the same way. But I don’t expect you to be complete and mature right now, any more than a gardener looks for fully ripe fruit days after planting a seed.

Tears pooled in my eyes as the truth of this God-encounter rooted itself in my soul.

He’s not in a hurry as He produces His Spirit’s fruit in my life.

But so often, I am.

I look down the road to the person I want to become, to spiritual and emotional maturity, and I feel discouraged at how far I have to go.

I’m angry with myself when I give in to temptation, and I struggle to rest in the forgiveness Jesus bought with His blood.

I’m undone by the disapproval of others, as if my identity rests on what other people think of me.

I try to fix myself so I’ll feel acceptable to God.

Yet all along, He invites me to rest through the process. To trust He’s at work and respond to His Spirit. To focus on relating to Jesus, rather than on myself and my shortcomings.

It’s easy to confuse spiritual growth with perfectionism. We can look at verses like Matthew 5:48 (NIV), “Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect,” and think God is concerned with our good behavior above all else. Yet, in the Bible’s original Greek, the word “perfect” signifies completion and maturity—something which happens over time.

Growth is a process, and spiritual growth is no exception. It’ll take a lifetime for us to become the masterpieces God is crafting us into. All the while, He rejoices when He sees us growing, even when the growth seems small.

Second Corinthians 3:18 (ESV) says we are “being transformed into [God’s] image from one degree of glory to another.” Little by little, one choice at a time, we’re being changed to look more and more like Jesus.

Did you notice the passive tense of the verb in this last Bible verse? We’re being transformed. Oh, the beauty of these life-infusing words. It’s not up to us to change ourselves. We are being made new, and God’s indwelling Spirit is the One doing the transformation. He Himself is the active force behind our renewal.

He calls us, not to change ourselves, but to respond as His Spirit works in us from the inside out.

Personal Reflection:

Where do you feel stuck today? Are there sin struggles you can’t seem to shake? Are you emotionally paralyzed by a situation that keeps repeating itself? Do buried dreams and unfulfilled longings crowd out your joy?

I invite you to confidently pour out your heart to God right now. Tell Him what frustrates you. Confess those sins that cling like thorny vines to your soul. Lay bare every emotion and each longing of your heart.

He already knows, but He welcomes you to come close and whisper everything your heart carries. Nothing surprises Him. Nothing changes His love for you or causes Him to push you away as you come to Him in faith (even if your faith is as tiny as the smallest seed).

Now grab a piece of paper and ask Him to show you where He’s at work in your life. Write down everything He shows you—no matter how small the growth may seem.

God is always up to great good in our lives, even when people or circumstances are not. He uses life events and human choices to mature and strengthen us, weaving beauty into even the most ugly and painful places.

Now that you’ve poured out your heart, and God’s shown you where He’s at work, thank Him for His transforming presence in your life. Join Him in celebrating your growth.

Prayer of Response:

Thank You, Lord, for rejoicing over the growth in my life. Thank You for being my Source and for being gentle with me as I mature. Sometimes I feel that for every step forward I take, I stumble backward two. How gracious and patient You are. Open my eyes to see where You’re at work. Help me recognize how I’m being transformed and enable me to rejoice along the way.