God Makes The Seed Grow

1 Corinthians 3:7 (NLT)

It’s not important who does the planting, or who does the watering. What’s important is that God makes the seed grow.

Our small group is studying the book of James. Tonight our leader asked a question something like this: When a person comes to you with a physical need, you should respond by meeting the need, but what do you do when a person comes to you with a spiritual need? My answer was...we meet the spiritual need because the command we have been given it to "go and make disciples." That doesn't just mean go and make converts. It means to teach them, train them, bring them along. It means jump into the septic system of their lives and help them spiritually. Then, I realized how hard this concept is for me. I am a "fixer." Therefore, I am tempted to look at the person and figure out what I think they should be and then expect them to become just that. For example, we have a plant in our dining room that I am convinced is a blooming plant.  I don't know anything about plants! Often this particular plant will show signs of new growth. It creates a bud-looking sprout-ish thing that is covered in beads of liquid. Every time that happens I rejoice for our plant is about to bloom. But it never does. Apparently, those sprout-ish things are only new leaves forming, because overnight they disappear or open into leaves or something. Clearly, I do not have a blooming plant. I believe in the plant and I offer encouragement by giving it fresh water and sunlight. This plant is never going to produce what I dream for it. The truth is: it is producing what God intended it to make...lovely green leaves. The plant is not falling short of what it was intended to do. Do you "get it?" It's important when we are called on to journey with someone in their spiritual walk that we allow them to bear the fruit they were intended to bear...to be the person they were intended to be. Sure God wants us to be a nurturing part of their growth, but only He can determine what kind of fruit they are to yield and the rate of the yield.  And let's face it, His plan is probably going to look different than the one we come up with! ...steppin' all over my own toes...