Growing - Gardens and Relationships

I shared this little analogy with one of my best friends recently and I feel God leading me to share it here; perhaps other folks need some affirmation or encouragement today...the subject is drawing closer to God...and it is not so much restricted to "Women's Ministry" but I did first share a much shorter version with a woman! hehehe

One of the keys to growing closer to Christ is to understand that it takes TIME to develop a relationship with Jesus. I think of it as gardening. You don't just wake up one day and decide to pick tomatoes out of the garden. You have to till the soil, plant the seeds, water the soil, fertilize the soil, chemical spray the plants (if you are a Gardner!), give it sun shine, and LOVE it. Same thing with a relationship with Christ...it takes TIME...read, pray, seek, etc...and most important to LOVE it!!!

I promise if you stick out a DAILY Bible Reading program or DAILY homework for Discipleship Training course study your heart will desire reading His Word more than anything else in life...and that is when you know you are well on your way! In time you will not even recognize the person you have become! It is an awesome transformation to go from Religion to Relationship! The blessings you will reap are beyond comprehension when you draw near to Christ. You see, anyone can be religious...you just have to attend church occasionally...but we were CHOSEN to have a relationship and to grow it until the day He calls us home! The relationship should never stop growing...never ever!


If you do not currently spend time in His Word consistently...start TODAY! Take baby steps...and see what He can do to multiply your time! That's how I started...and only 5 or so years ago. It does not matter what age you start seeking Him...just start NOW!


Take Baby Steps...commit 15 minutes to reading your Bible when you are at your best. Not everyone is their "best" at 5am. My personal best is 9pm when the babies (not so much anymore!) are in bed. I go to "my chair" and start with 15 minutes in my One Year Bible reading Guide. And then it is funny...sometimes an hour later I am still in that chair reading and praying. On other nights it's 15 minutes reading and I am up and moving to the chores ahead. Whatever I feel led to do that night. But I have that standing appointment and I rarely miss it! And honestly, I find that if I miss it...I don't sleep as well. =)


It is equally important to understand in addition to taking TIME...everyone has to build their OWN relationship with Jesus. I can't give you mine, Pastor Billie can't give us his...you have to do it yourself because you WANT to. Beth Moore said I think in the Esther study "at the end of the day people are going to do what they really WANT to do". You have to WANT the relationship before you can "do" the relationship. And every one's relationship is different...that's what makes it personal! So my quiet time prescription is different than yours...you can't treat pneumonia with a chicken pox vaccine! You will discover what works best for you when you make up your mind that you WANT to seek Him! Test out different times of the day until you find one that is CONSISTENTLY good for you...and then don't miss it! I am glad to talk with you one on one if you need some encouragement or special prayer or suggestions on ways to start out...just let me know...I am no expert theologian but I have researched and would willingly share anything I have read!


Desperately Seeking HIM!
Kristy


Click to view: (this is just a very small "few")
Deu 4:29
Heb 11:6
2 Chron 7:14
Acts 17:27
Psalm 119:2
Others