So I was out on the lawn mower today for just under 2
hours. Somehow, even with the loud sound
of the engine running and the blades cutting, I find this to be very peaceful.
Today my thoughts were on growth. I was thinking back to six, maybe seven years ago on Christmas day. I woke up and said, “Happy Birthday, Jesus. “All I have to give you is myself. I give myself to you. Make me the best servant I can be for you.” Since that day, I have had tremendous pruning and growth…not that I wasn’t growing before, because I was. But, this growth has been rapid…and at times, painful.
The way I see it, most people want growth in some way, shape or form. Maybe they want their garden to grow, their hair or fingernails to grow…perhaps they want their bank account to grow or maybe their responsibilities in their career to grow. The problem is that many of us who want growth, don’t want what comes along before the growth can take place…the pruning.
You see, when things grow, they can get wild and out of control if they’re not pruned properly. Have you ever seen a tree or shrub that has grown without any pruning or shaping to it? They can actually be pretty unattractive! Well, that’s exactly how we can become if we don’t allow ourselves to be pruned and shaped by the Master Gardener.
As soon as I spoke those words, asking God to make me the best servant I could be, He went to work on me. There were things in me that needed to be taken out. Some things that I didn’t even know were in me, and some I did know about, but sincerely thought that I had dealt with, but in reality, had not. He began to prune me…”cutting” the things out that didn’t need to be in me, essentially making much more room for Himself. “More of You and less of me” I prayed, and still pray today. You see, when you prune a shrub, tree or flowers, it spurns growth. And then, as it grows, it can be shaped into a much more beautiful shape than it was before.
Growth = Change There is no getting around it. There have been times when I’ve caught myself saying, “Lord, what am I doing wrong now?” Well, the truth of the matter is that I really wasn’t doing anything wrong; it’s that there was a better, more refined way of doing it. We cannot expect growth without change…period!
Now, what if I had decided that I didn’t want to deal with the issues that God brought forth in the pruning process? I could have fought it and decided that I truly didn’t want to be the best servant I could be and rejected the pruning. I could have just settled for much less than God’s best and decided that I am the way I am and that I didn’t need to change. That would have been the “easy” way to deal with that…but, with that attitude; I would never reach the potential that God created me to reach…which I believe is a lifetime process. You see, God has the best life we could ever imagine planned for each and every one of us. We have to want that life though. We have to accept God’s way of life for ourselves…which is the best way possible…hands down. The trouble is that it’s not the easy way. In fact, I find it to be more than a just little challenging at times.
Recently I had a dream that was terrifying. I woke up and began to pray for protection for my family and myself. I used to have terrible dreams as a child and would also sleep walk several nights out of the week. This went on for years. I remember that terror and haven’t experienced it since I accepted Jesus as my Savior at age 13. So, it really bothered me that I had this dream. As I lay in bed contemplating and praying about the meaning of the dream, I heard the Lord speak to me. In that still small voice, He let me know that there were some things in my life that He wanted changed and they were things that I knew needed to be changed. In short, the enemy was attacking me and he was getting to me through these things. He told me what they were and I said, “Ok, I will make these changes. I want all that You have for me. I repent. Forgive me for not changing them before now and please help me when I’m weak. I will do my part, please help me with the parts that I cannot do for myself. I trust You and believe You.” You see, I was aware that I needed these changes, however, in all honesty, I would change for a little while and then I would just fall back into the same pattern that I had been in before. I didn’t take the change seriously. I was being lazy about it. Well, this dream got my attention! I realized the seriousness of the changes that needed to be made. Otherwise, I believe in my heart that if I didn’t, I would not move on to what God had next in line for me. I would be settling for much less than what God has planned for me.
Growth is not always easy. It will always involve change. And just as some children experience growing pains while growing physically, we, as children of God, can and will experience growing pains as we grow and mature spiritually. No, it’s not easy, but I know, trust and believe that it’s worth it!
For myself I have made the decision that there is no turning back and there is no stopping. I have set my mind on the Higher things of the Lord. I trust that every high thing will come down and every stronghold in my life will be broken. I will not accept anything less. Why would I want to accept anything less than what the Lord has made available for me? Jesus gave everything for you and me when He gave up His life on the cross. I cannot even begin to imagine the pain, shame and suffering He endured for me, let alone the entire human race! The pain I have gone through is real, but it’s a fraction of the pain that Jesus endured for me, not to mention all mankind, as well. I believe I will press in and press on and be triumphant in Jesus’ Mighty name!
If you haven’t already done so, I encourage you to ask for growth, expect and accept the change…the pruning and shaping…it will totally be worth it!!
