Real Growth
Read This Week: Luke 13
And he told this parable: “A man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard, and he came seeking fruit on it and found none. And he said to the vinedresser, ‘Look, for three years now I have come seeking fruit on this fig tree, and I find none. Cut it down. Why should it use up the ground?’ And he answered him, ‘Sir, let it alone this year also until I dig around it and put on manure. Then if it should bear fruit next year, well and good; but if not, you can cut it down.’” – Luke 13:6-9 NIV
Growth is a natural process. Everything living is growing. If it is not, something is inherently wrong with the thing, or something is actively impeding the process. In life, the same principle of growth seems to apply, especially when we talk about spiritual growth. When one is in a relationship with God and actively connected to the truth and life source of the Holy Spirit, growth is inevitable. But if bad choices, sin, and the world are allowed to take precedent over pursuing Christ, the process is stunted, and growth becomes optional.
In Luke 13, Jesus illustrates this idea of growth with a parable. The story shows that a fig tree has not produced fruit for three years and the man who planted the tree wants to cut it down. The arbor keeper protests and asks the owner to give him one more year to tend to the tree, curate it, put fertilizer on it, and then if that does not work, he can get rid of it. In other words, the arbor keeper wants to exhaust all avenues and resources to achieve growth for the tree before it is given up on and discarded. Verses 8-9 says:
Let it alone this year until I dig around it and put on manure. Then if it should bear fruit next year, well and good; but if not, you can cut it down.
This parable shows us some practical things that are applicable to us today. First, it shows that growth is not always assumed or natural, and even though someone may say they are a Christian, it does not mean that Christ-like fruit is coming from their lives. The fig tree is baffling to the owner because it is not producing figs, just as the Christian who displays no spiritual fruit is equally confusing.
Second, this passage reminds us of the patience, grace, and long-suffering of God in regard to our growth and relationship with Him. He is patient with us when we have His word at our fingertips and do not read it. He is gracious when we make the same mistakes over and over despite the Spirit guiding us toward change. He is enduring when we make no spiritual strides and produce no spiritual fruit after years of being his child. God is not satisfied with our lack of growth, but He does not cut us down or throw us away. The Lord always pursues our hearts and beckons us to return to Him and progress in the faith.
Lastly, we see real growth takes time, commitment, and effort. We must take the attitude of the vinedresser when it comes to our spiritual development and expansion beyond the infantile stages of Christianity. We have to be willing to stay consistent and persistent when things are not going the way we want, or growth is not happening the way we planned.
We have to press into God and exhaust all the resources and avenues available to us that will contribute to our spiritual walk. Real growth comes when we have the seed of truth planted in our hearts, and it is fertilized by the Spirit, reading the Bible, staying connected to the family of God, and worshipping Him over time.
This is what I got from Luke 13. The fruit of your life shows what kind of person you really are. If My son Jesus has truly touched your life, it will show in the fruit you bear. I do give 2nd chances, but there will also be a final chance. If you want to enter My gate, it takes effort and purpose to enter it. Many come to the gate but then decide they don’t like it and refuse to enter it. it is not about good works.
Jesus is the gate. He is the door. The world can be an obstacle, and your own flesh is an obstacle. There will come a time when it is too late to enter. You must have an urgency to enter now. Jesus has to know and recognize you. It is important you have a relationship with Him. Jesus wants to rescue and protect you, but you have to be willing to trust Him and His will for you.
What this says to me, is I need to have an urgency in my life to come to Him and have a relationship with Him. If He does not know me, then I won’t be allowed in. Once he comes, it will be too late. I have to be willing to trust Him now.
Good commentary from Luke 13, Kathy. I really appreciated this part:
Many come to the gate but then decide they don’t like it and refuse to enter it. it is not about good works.
This is the age-old trap of believing that works will get us to heaven and that it is the entryway into the gate. But it never works out. It is never enough. It is not the answer to spiritual growth or to salvation. That is by the grace of God and the power of the Holy Spirit through the word.
The lord drew me to Luke 13 verses 8&9.
8 being “ The Gardner answered,’Sir, give it more chance. leave it another year, and I will give it special attention and plenty of Fertilizer.
And verse 9
“If we get figs next year, fine. If not you can cut it down.
And what he shared with me about this.
“ My son there are many around you that in this season of there lives that are not Rooted in my soil, But they long to live in my garden, It may take care, More watering, And more Fertilizer in order to bear fruit,So Take time to nourish and feed them with my love and from my cup, And Maybe not this season but soon they too shall flourish and bear my fruit.
And what that means to me.
Is to see where people are in the season’s. And to mend them to share with them what God has done for you, And to Nourish them with the living water, And to feed them with all with my love
This week in Luke 13; I got a song
We worship you we worship you we are worshiping you our Lord spending time becoming closer to you in the beginning before we knew of you our life was upside down oh Lord thank you for waiting patiently for our change of mind you are the one and only who forgives our sins teaches us your words your wisdom to help one another
We worship you we worship you we are worshiping you our Lord amen
God, Jesus,and the holy spirit How great my life is. As. Christian who believes and knows he I with me all the time. He forgives me, he gives me strength when I feel weak. Just remember he knows exactly what we need. Amen
Father God was showing me in Luke 13
That we’re part of His family someone helped me to turn to God because I needed Him, I’m so thankful for her, God needs me to help others too.
It doesn’t take much it can start out with a mustard seed. So my faith can help others as they see me trust in the Lord it can affect others like the parable of the yeast.
Like the song it only takes one drop to change the world.
People need Father God just like we do.
We don’t want anyone to perish so keep sharing, keep loving, you never know when someone will join the family!
Thank you Father God, Jesus and Your Holy Spirit that we get to be part of what Your doing!!
Love you ❤️
I love this song because we need Father God and He needs us because we need to do it together to make a difference in this world!
It starts with one here one there, everywhere we go we can bring God’s love to someone!
It only takes one drop by Plumb
… I need you, and you need me
Left alone, we will never be who we could be
So take my hand and don’t forget that
We can do anything together
… Just one drop of your love
A single ray of sun
Just one thing to change the world
It’s just you and me
Starting with a dream
And giving it all we’ve got
… Only takes one drop (oh, oh-oh, oh-oh)
Only takes one drop (oh, oh-oh-oh)
Only takes one drop (oh, oh-oh, oh-oh)
Only takes one drop (oh, oh-oh-oh)
… Come with me now, look and see how
There’s an ocean overflowing with our hopes
So let’s jump in and, take a swim
It’s you and me, yeah, forever
… Just one drop of your love
A single ray of sun
Just one thing to change the world
It’s just you and me
Starting with a dream
And giving it all we’ve got
… Only takes one drop (oh, oh-oh, oh-oh)
Only takes one drop (oh, oh-oh-oh)
Only takes one drop (oh, oh-oh, oh-oh)
Only takes one drop (oh, oh-oh-oh)
… I need you, and you need me
We can do anything together
… Just one drop of your love
A single ray of sun
Just one thing to change the world (we can change the world)
It’s just you and me
Starting with a dream (starting with a dream)
And giving it all we’ve got (giving it all)
… Only takes one drop (oh, oh-oh, oh-oh)
Only takes one drop (oh, oh-oh-oh)
Only takes one drop (oh, oh-oh, oh-oh)
Only takes one drop (oh, oh-oh-oh)
We need to put our faith in Father God, as he has a plan for us. He doesn’t want us to thinking about past hurts and wasting energy on what was. We need to move on and let it go. God knows what we need and he is moving us into a better place.