What Are You Growing?

But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.”
2 Peter 3:18

I have never planted a garden.

Well, at least not successfully enough to confidently call myself a gardener.

But I understand the basic concept. You plant something, you care for it, you give it what it needs, and eventually you expect something to grow.

What would be strange is planting nothing, tending nothing, and then walking outside a few months later disappointed that there was nothing to harvest.

Yet sometimes I wonder if we approach our relationship with God that way.

We want a deep faith. We want to recognize God’s voice. We want to know Scripture. We want to trust Him when life gets difficult. We want to become more like Jesus.

But those things don’t happen accidentally.

When we look at the life of Jesus, there were rhythms woven throughout His life. He prayed. He withdrew to be with the Father. He knew Scripture. He fasted. He rested.

These weren’t random spiritual activities squeezed into His schedule. They were part of the way He lived.

And if we want to follow Jesus, shouldn’t we pay attention not only to what He taught, but also to how He lived?

Prayer, fasting, Sabbath, and reading Scripture can easily become things we know Christians are “supposed” to do. Sometimes they even become boxes we check.

Read my Bible. Check.

Prayed. Check.

Went to church. Check.

But these practices were never meant to simply make us better at being religious.

They create space for God to shape us.

Fasting teaches us dependence.

Prayer teaches us connection.

Sabbath teaches us trust.

Scripture teaches us truth.

And slowly, often without us even realizing it, those investments begin producing something in us.

That is the part I find both challenging and encouraging.

We have a role in our spiritual growth.

We cannot earn salvation. Jesus already did what we could never do for ourselves. Grace is a gift.

But we can choose what we do with the life He has given us.

A deeper relationship with Jesus doesn’t usually happen through one giant spiritual moment. It is built through small, faithful decisions to keep showing up.

Five minutes in prayer.

Opening your Bible when you don’t feel like it.

Choosing to fast and allowing that hunger to turn your attention toward God.

Protecting rhythms that keep your heart connected to Him.

None of those moments may feel monumental.

But seeds rarely do.

So maybe the question isn’t, “Am I doing enough?”

Maybe the better question is:

What am I planting?

Because what we consistently invest in today will eventually show up in what is growing in us tomorrow.

Reflection:
What spiritual rhythm could you intentionally invest in right now? Not because you “should,” but because you genuinely want to grow closer to Jesus.

Prayer:
Jesus, I want my life to produce the kind of fruit that comes from knowing You deeply. Show me where I have become passive in my spiritual growth and help me faithfully invest in my relationship with You. Teach me to follow not only Your words, but Your way of life. Amen.