Flourishing Faith, Leafing Love

Flourishing Faith, Leafing Love

Flourishing and leafing. It sure sounds like ‘life’. Have you ever seen a stalk of a plant beginning to break out in leaves? There is something refreshing and very alive about the sight. It may have been just a stem and stalk for quite a while but then a leaf breaks out. “Phew! There’s life!” For those with green thumbs – seeing the first leaves appear and then some buds and a flower – that’s pretty big stuff.

For the Thessalonian believers, things weren’t all that rosy. They had come up against some hard times. The innate hatred of the human heart for Christ was being taken out on them. They were being persecuted because they loved the Lord. The days had become so difficult and dark for them, they mistakenly wondered if they had entered the Tribulation period so often spoken about in God’s prophetic calendar. The Apostle Paul assured them they would not be going through the Tribulation period. He taught them the truth of the Rapture.

Paul then writes them a second letter. They needed to know that what they were experiencing was just plain old opposition and persecution for being a genuine Christian. Paul did not deny the fact that they were suffering from intense persecution but he took the time to lay out for them some Eschatological teaching – truths regarding the end times.

He starts off his second letter to them with this:

We ought always to give thanks to God for you, brothers, as is right,
because your faith is growing abundantly,
and the love of every one of you for one another is increasing.
(2Thessalonians 1:3)

Despite all their troubles and struggles their faith was flourishing and their love for each other was thriving. Flourishing faith and leafing love. Very strong indicators of spiritual life. The initial faith in Christ that brought them into God’s family was growing. Their faith and devotion to Christ was increasing abundantly. In fact, it means flourishing or growing luxuriantly. The deeper their roots reached down into the fertile soils of the beautiful person of Christ, the more they grew spiritually and the fruit became so obvious. Their love for each other was sprouting out everywhere. It couldn’t be contained. Leafing, budding and blossoming.

One of the early indicators of declining spiritual health below the surface is when my love for other believers is on the decline. Love for one another is the fruit the Spirit of God produces in my life when I am walking closely with the Lord and feeding on Christ. I can not naturally produce that love. It is the outflow of a heart that is enjoying Christ.

Is your faith flourishing and your stalk breaking out in leaves of love? Or has the plant lost its vitality and are the leaves now withering – perhaps dropping off? It’s time to take a look at the roots and the condition of the soil. What’s the root feeding on? And is the plant getting the proper amount of light?

If faith isn’t flourishing and if love isn’t leafing its time to get alone with the Lord. Try: confession of sin, coldness and bitterness; renewed commitment to the Lord; dedicated time each day alone with my Bible; prayer; surrender and obedience.

Look again at the image above and determine whether it illustrates the way you are presently, or the way you once were and would like to be again. Read Psalm 1. And allow the Lord to nourish your soul today.

Walk carefully and closely with the Lord today.

Warmly in Christ

Peter Ramsay

peter@heaven4sure.com