Crops and Cobwebs
“For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life. And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart.”
- Galatians 6:8-9
We live near different types of agricultural fields– one of them being cherries, another being tomatoes, and another corn. Every year, the farmers replant the crops and before you know it, the fields are covered in green and ready to harvest. I left town for only a week and upon coming back, the entire tomato field went from the tiniest sprouts to seemingly full-grown vines.
Have you ever noticed in your walk with God, it may seem like there’s stagnancy? You might be in a tough season or maybe it’s just an apathetic one. You’re trying to stay close to God— you’re reading the Word and praying but you feel stagnant. One day, however, maybe you realize that “all of sudden” you responded with more patience than usual in an aggravating situation. Or maybe saying “no” to a common temptation wasn’t difficult anymore. Or maybe you’re having a conversation with someone about theology and this time you actually know the verses to direct them to in the Bible. Until applied, you haven’t noticed how much growth has actually happened! In our spiritual lives, sometimes we aren’t aware that growth is happening or has happened, but when we finally realize it, the “crops” have already done leaps and bounds of growing. At first, it felt like nothing was happening, but just like noticing the crops, it seems like the growth was exponentially out of nowhere.
Ten years ago, my sister gifted me a ficus tree. It currently lives in a pot at my parents’ house, so I don’t get to see it very often, but when I saw it last week, my mind was blown! It had grown inches since the last time I saw it. It was flourishing unlike ever before, and my mom informed me that she had been adding coffee grounds and eggshells to the soil (which are natural fertilizers). In the case of plants, they not only need the right conditions to grow but they need a fertilizer boost here and there to flourish. My ficus tree has always been growing, little by little, but it hasn’t always been flourishing in the same way that it is now.
Likewise, if we want our spiritual lives to continue to flourish, it’s imperative that we not only go through the motions, but that we abide in Him continually. It’s easy to check off a list that says, “I read my Bible,” “I prayed 20 minutes today,” “I went to church on Sunday,” etc. No doubt, there will be a level of growth, but our relationship with God requires constant sowing into— not just in compartmentalized moments. An example of a “fertilizer boost” would be choosing worship music over secular music and singing praises to Him throughout the day. Or asking the Spirit to bring someone along your path to share the gospel with. Or instead of watching TV or a movie, you spend that time listening to a Bible teaching. Or maybe you can choose a verse to meditate and apply throughout the day. This isn’t a works-based message but rather an encouragement to give your growth a little boost! I’m speaking for myself as well. We all need reminders to continually abide in Christ and be aware of our spiritual reality more than our physical reality.
Lastly, have you ever noticed how quickly cobwebs also show up in corners and crevices? I didn’t have to deal with spiders much where I grew up (instead, we had centipedes and scorpions) so it came as a surprise now living in California to see cobwebs appear all the time, especially in the summer. I had swept our porch from the cobwebs the other day, and the next time I paid attention they were already back.
Just like crops and plants seem to grow out of nowhere, the same is true for cobwebs. But in contrast, cobwebs are not so desirable. They collect dust, imply death, look dirty, and indicate that there is or was a spider nearby. In relation to our spiritual lives, the growth of negative things can happen just as abruptly as the growth of positive things. What this looks like is choosing to dwell on a negative thought instead of taking it captive and under the submission of Christ (2 Corinthians 10:5). Or it looks like giving into temptation “just once” until that door has swung open wide. Or it’s choosing to meditate on lies you make up in your head instead of the truth. Or it could be just choosing to coast through your days and be completely unaware of the presence of God in your life. Little by little, the cobwebs will start to form and before you know it, you’ll notice you have to sweep up.
What I want to convey with this devotional is that growth happens slowly through consistency. And, our spiritual growth can be consistently growing in a positive direction or a negative one.
Take a Moment:
Are you sowing cobwebs or crops in your life?
Is life being produced or is death being produced through your choices and actions?
What areas of your spiritual life has the Spirit been trying to convict you or encourage you? Take time to pray today for clarity and direction.
Do you desire to grow or have you been content just coasting? What is holding you back from adding “fertilizer” to your growth?
I want to remind you that God loves you unconditionally. None of these questions are to point you in the direction of trying to earn more of God’s love or favor. That would be impossible. On the contrary, God loves you so much that this is the exact reason why I want to encourage us to grow. He wants good for us, He wants a deeper relationship with us, and He wants us to know how much He loves us despite our failures.
Sowing into our spiritual growth, even when it may seem like nothing is happening, is what it means to live by faith.
-Alina