Patience in Growth

Last night at Hillsong NYC - Heart and Soul - Guest Pastor Phil Dooley gave an amazing illustration about what it means to be fruitful. We often ask God for abundant fruitfulness, an orchard of fruit, and God said he would give us that. So we open our hands to receive this orchard of fruitfulness and in our hands God drops a seed.

I don't know how many of you have ever gardened before, but even if you haven't, it's common knowledge that it takes time for a seed to grow up from underneath the soil. And it takes a great deal of time for that plant to grow before it can begin baring fruit. But in the mean time, that plant has to be taken care of. It needs good soil with nutrients to feed it. So I ask myself, what kind of soil am I feeding off of? What does my spirit need to be feed in order to bear good fruit? Also, don't be a potted plant. Pastor Phil used the illustration of a potted plant to explain how some Christians are living. Potted plants are all about appearance. Some people are only concerned with how it looks on the surface of the soil. But the roots are trapped, and limited. So when the enemy comes along, it's so easy for him to uproot you. Not only that, but potted plants don't bear good fruit. We have to allow ourselves to go deeper.

What stood out to me the most from his message as I related it to my own life was "What is the fruit for?" The apple is not for the apple tree's enjoyment. The fruit I bear as a Christian is not meant for my personal enjoyment. The fruit I bear is for the next generation. It is meant for others to take and eat. And when you bear good fruit, people will begin to gather around and see the good fruit that is a manifestation of the spirit of God inside of me. They will eat of it and open doors for the spirit of God to move inside of them.

I've been in New York a total of two weeks and two days. It feels like so much longer. The funny thing is, I'll be here for the next two years at the very least and it will probably go by fast. I finally feel like I've settled in some. It doesn't yet feel like "home" but I'm sure it won't be long before it does. I'm so ready at any moment to see God move. I want everyday to be filled with miracles and supernatural experiences. I want to always be open to those possibilities, but I also need to remember to have patience.

In this season, I believe a new seed has been planted and it is just beginning to take root. I have a lot of growing to do. I'm working on my orchard and that takes time, and patience. It doesn't happen all at once. But the beautiful thing about growth is that it happens on it's own. All I do is make sure I'm feeding my spirit the word of God and seeking his presence, which, at this point, I can't stand life without his presence.

Basically, sit back, relax and enjoy the ride. GOD does the work. All I have to do is focus on him. Easier said than done, but really, it's only as difficult as you allow the enemy to tell you it is.