Grace + Practice + Time
Good day to you,
There’s a desire in all of us to have meaningful and significant purpose and effectiveness. Sometimes it could be our past failures and phobias that limit our growth. Or due to challenges we get stuck or stagnant in our journey with Christ. Do you need a fruitful season, a time of breakthrough in areas of your personal growth? From the teaching of Jesus, I want to give you over the next few weeks three dynamic keys to health, growth, and increased peace in your life.
“Sir,” the man replied, “leave it alone for one more year, and I’ll dig around it and fertilize it. If it bears fruit next year, fine! If not, then cut it down.” Luke 13: 8,9
The response here is from the gardener, the caretaker of the fig tree. The fig tree has not brought forth any new life over the last 3 years, unfruitful, stuck, stagnant, and just taking up soil.
Jesus in this parable unpacks insights for our understanding, as he, the Gardner, is patient and desires to take three steps of encounter with us to produce life and fruitfulness. First, Jesus states that he will come and dig around base of the tree, to open up the soil. To accept us right where we are and turn the soil for it to breathe. To bring his grace and to break up any hardened ground to allow the fresh sunlight of the Holy Spirit and the oxygen of his relationship room and place. Grace + Practice + Time
May you realize that his approach to bringing forth new life and health to your soul and spirit is to first dig around at the core of your experience. He will not damage the root ball or sever the roots, just make room for new insights and revelations of love and hope. He is faithful and such an amazing Gardner that his spade applied to your life will start the process of fruitfulness beyond your expectations. So give him access. Give him permission. Just cast off the fears of the past and the anxiety of failure. He’s at work.
Q: When speaking about a fig tree, what first comes to your mind?
Q: What might he be digging up in your life for new life to come?