Are You Growing Inside?

A robust Christmas cactus fills the garden window above our kitchen sink, and right now the end of every stem has a growing bud that soon will open into a spectacular array of delicate, pink blossoms. This cycle of blooming repeats several times during the year, and while we scrub dirty pots after dinner, we worship the Creator who made such a gorgeous plant.

People should bloom, too.

But sometimes we shy away from growing inside, and that’s the plain truth. Growing requires some good pressure exerting itself on our minds and hearts, and we generally like to avoid exertion.

My friend and her husband, who live in Texas now, just surprised us with a quick weekend visit. All we could talk about was Jesus and what he is doing in our lives. They’re the kind of people who lean forward and their eyes light up, when they talk about their own personal growth and how they’re investing in the growth of others.

But some folks don’t want to grow.

Some are a boulder. Their minds haven’t stretched and their knees haven’t bent and their eyes haven’t wept over their own sin. Their hearts haven’t poured out for the sake of another soul. No risk. No sweat.

So they are boulders not plants.

No buds.

No green.

No hope of imminent blossoming.

I was reading Isaiah 60:1, and it barks a command that I’m going to paraphrase:

Get up! Quit sitting there like a boulder. It’s time to shine, for your light has come.

Like a living cactus soaking in the all-day sun of a garden window, Jesus is in our lives to make us blossom and show the effects of his light to everyone around us.

But first you have to get up. Do the work of soaking in the light of Christ. Inhale the Bible. Listen to sermons. Memorize verses. Sing worship songs. Read books penned by Scripture-saturated writers. Get to church every week, and worship with people who are growing inside so that they can challenge you and rub off on you. If you want to grow inside, you have to exert yourself.

Time to get a move on.