I recently bought a few plants for my home. I asked a lot of questions, but specifically about plant size. How big would it get? Would I need to change the pot after a while? Will it take over my house? The lady informed me that some plants can grow quite large, but if you keep it in a small pot you can stunt its growth and keep it small.
In Bible Study last night the leader said we are "the plantings of God". But where are we planted? Because of free will we make our own choices. God has placed a seed of potential within us but we have to be careful about the size of the pot we choose to grow in. If a plant could choose its own pot I doubt it would choose a small one. You don't ever have to tell a plant not to grow. It won't grow is if its growth is restricted by lack of space to spread its roots and find more nourishment, or it's deprived of the light of the sun. So, we too need to be deeply and widely rooted in our faith and ensure we get enough Light from the Son.
Not all plants are the same. Some need lots of water, some thrive in shade, some in direct sunlight, some are sensitive to touch, some have thorns, some bear fruit, and some have poison. We're the same - some of us need constant encouragement, some like to be alone, some like to be in the spotlight, some are very sensitive, some lash out when people get too close, some are givers and some poison all they come in contact with.
Which type are you, and where are you planted today? Do you have room to spread your roots and grow? Are you firmly planted? Like fertilizer, the Word of God causes growth - but not always the type of growth you can immediately see. We have to grow inwardly before it's seen on the outside. We have to grow in our thought processes, habits and even our desires. Then the way we behave shows what is really inside us. We cannot do what we have never thought of. Action always comes after thought. Be careful of the seeds you allow to be planted in your mind, your heart and your spirit. Some seeds are lovely and bloom into beauty and some are like weeds, choking the good things that are trying to grow in our Lives. Weed regularly, fertilize often, and give yourself room to spread your roots.
The roots of young plants can become entangled as they grow and spread out, so it's often recommended to plant seeds a certain distance apart or even in separate pots, to be transplanted later. As these seeds grow separate from each other, we too must grow separate from each other. Your growth rate may be differrent from another and here you are with your roots bursting out of the pot you were put in, ready to be transplanted to a bigger and better pot, while another is struggling to keep a single green leaf.
Be resilient! I've seen trees that burst through concrete because the roots spread so much. It had to grow, and it wasn't letting a slab of concrete get in its way. So what more are you than a tree? Are you letting something hard block your growth? Push through it!
My plant is stuck where I plant it, but you have a choice. If you aren't growing, you can change your "pot", or you can change your fertlizer. What are you feeding yourself daily that will cause growth in your Life? If you want the flowers and the fruit, you have to be willing to put in the work. Do something every day that will encourage your growth - feed your spirit, read books, develop skills, learn something new, spend quality time with loved ones. What you feed in your Life is what will grow.
The pot you are planted in is your mind, and like a plant will not grow well in a small pot, you will not grow until you open your mind to the possibility of achieving your God-given potential. The Japanese art of Bonsai turns what would have grown into a huge tree into a table-top miniature version. God planted the seed; what you do with it is your choice. Do you want to be a full-sized tree, or a table-top tree? It's your choice.
If you plant a seed this year, and you see that first little leaf pop out of the soil, by next year you should have something that is much, much bigger. We can't look the same way this time next year. If we do, it means we haven't grown. Nurture yourself where you are planted. Where there is good nourishment, push your roots deep, spread them out...
Now grow!
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