How Do Christians Grow?

Christian growth should be easy, right? To be honest it is anything but easy. I find that God's prescription for growth quite often involves difficult challenges and very long wait times. His use of trials and tribulations as shaping tools runs counter to what most of us mere humans would use if in His shoes. Fortunately God takes care of most of the heavy lifting, leaving us with a small handful of things we need to do. Where do we start? Well, if you truly want to grow I suggest you start with reading and meditating on the Bible every day.

The first Psalm describes a man who meditates on scripture morning and night. He is like a tree planted near a river, well watered and enjoying abundant provisions. And like the rest of the forest, a riverside tree must endure the ups and downs of nature. Its best days start with a refreshing breeze and perhaps a cleansing layer of dew. On those good days the sun is warm, creating such a comfortable feeling that even weeping willows choose to smile. Those are the days when growth comes easy but the nicest of days can quickly give over to days that leave the strongest of trees wishing for cover.

Sometimes a string of good days gives way to a season of drought. The sun, once a friend, becomes an inquisitor seemingly focused on burning away all that matters. The air becomes stagnant, oppressive where it had once been a relief. Across the forest the ground which once provided nourishment becomes dry and unyielding, starving all plants of needed nutrients. Under these conditions the roots of our foundations are tested. And while others wither, that tree near the river continues to grow. It draws from the river which carries a constant supply of nutrients in what appears to the untrained eye to be nothing more than mud.

Such is life with its good times and bad. I wish that those who follow the Lord were immune to life’s ups and downs. Instead we are on the rollercoaster of life along with all of our neighbors. The promise of scripture is not one of a smooth life. It is the promise of growth and abundance no matter what we face at any given time. In times of plenty and in times of drought the person who meditates on scripture will continue to grow, drawing from the river of life that is Jesus Christ. Are you ready to start growing today?

At What Cost a Good Deed?

He just wanted to help but the cost of being a good Samaritan was very, very high.

By Blogtrepreneur (Legal Gavel) [CC BY 2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

While visiting friends in Florida a man noticed a toddler who seemed lost. Out of concern for the child the Samaritan began searching for the child's parents, asking her if she could point them out. At one point he made the mistake of picking the little girl up (something I strongly advise against when dealing with other people's children, unless you know them and know it’s ok with their parents). Unfortunately, as the Samaritan was looking for the girl's parents, her father was looking for his daughter's kidnapper.

The toddler's father became angry when told that someone was trying to kidnap his daughter. With the help of three of his friends the father confronted and attacked the Samaritan leaving him battered and bruised. While unfortunate, the dad's reaction is understandable. Hopefully every man would stand up in defense of his family, although the use of violence should be limited to when necessary. The real injustice was not in how the dad reacted but in the reaction of the internet as word of the confrontation spread.

The internet quickly labeled the Samaritan a kidnapper. Without waiting to hear all of the evidence the man's Facebook page and business website fell victim to a modern day witch hunt. Facing threats the man and his family were forced to leave town, further adding insult to injury. In the end the Samaritan was a victim of our anonymous knee jerk reaction culture. And while he will carry the scars of the price paid while doing a good deed, it is our nation which must try to recover from a much greater injury.

We pride ourselves in being a country that stands for its principles. Yet when, without due process, our electronic jury attacked a man who likely was only trying to help, we lost one of those principles that supposedly makes this nation great: the idea that a person is innocent until proven guilty.