Grow, Christian, Grow!

I have been reading a few biographies about the lives of men and women who have served the Lord in difficult areas of the world and difficult times in world history.  These are God’s precious jewels, those who sow, water, and reap in the most difficult acres of church history.  I don’t put NYC or any US urban center in this category.  I love NYC and I love church planting here.  Although the city is getting more antagonistic toward Bible Christianity, little blood has been spilt, little property seized.  They may boycott and berate, but we can still preach the Gospel boldly and freely, and worship our Lord unopposed.

That being said, at times I feel like growing in this city is a bit like the plant pictured here.  I loved the tenacity of this little living thing!  It is 30 feet in the air above the blacktop of a busy street below, yet it still grows.  It is far from natural soil, but it keeps growing.  It stands on an elevated train, the 7 from Main Street Flushing to Time Square, and it keeps growing.  It grows on a train track with paint flaking off suspended proudly in the polluted air and keeps growing.  Added to this, a line of 10 70,000-pound train cars speed over its resting place every ten minutes.  Just beyond it is a dead pigeon, something that gave in, but the plant continues to grow (until an MTA employee pulls it out, I hope).

Wherever you are, whatever the obstacles around you that work to stunt your spiritual growth.  Don’t be affected.  Keep growing!  Your environment is no excuse to be lazy or fall behind.  Paul encouraged Timothy to remain at Ephesus, pastoring and planting a church in one of the largest cities of his day.  Believer, have you fallen behind, or grown cold?  Get back into the Word.  The soul maturing influence of God’s Word empowered by God’s Spirit does not rely on a perfect situation or the bubble of good circumstances.  Get into the Word and let the Lord grow you each day.  Start now! 

“You therefore, beloved, knowing this beforehand, take care that you are not carried away with the error of lawless people and lose your own stability. But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be the glory both now and to the day of eternity. Amen.” (2 Peter 3:17 ESV)