Immediately after reading this, I saw right away how this metaphor applies to us as people and what it takes for us to mature and blossom into all that God wants us to be. Just like the flower bud, we need the same conditions: water, sunlight, and soil.
Water: Water is our source of life. Without water, we will die. It's plain and simple. In the Bible, the Lord is referred to as living water. It is Him who keeps our spirit alive. It is drinking from Him that will give us everlasting life. Without Him, our spirits are headed towards death.
"Lord, you are the hope of Israel; all
who forsake you will be put to shame. Those who turn away from you will
be written in the dust because they have forsaken the Lord, the spring of living water." Jeremiah 17:3
Sunlight: A flower bud needs heat in order to mature into a flower. You must be willing to let down your protective scales and allow God's refining fire to burn away impurities. We must consecrate ourselves and be holy, because He is holy!
"How much more, then, will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself unblemished to God, cleanse our consciences from acts that lead to death, so that we may serve the living God!" Hebrews 9:14
Soil: In order for that bud to bloom and stand strong, it needs to be planted deeply in rich soil. It relies on the soil for vital nutrients. We have to be deeply rooted in God's love and Word.
"For this reason I kneel before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name. I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. " Ephesians 3:14-19
We know what it takes to bloom. Yet many of us, me included until recently, remain "tight in a bud." It's a painful place to be. Very painful. It's a place of feeling bound up. We feel trapped. We feel like we can't breathe. We feel confined. We feel like we're not living up to our potential. Ever been there?
So why do we stay in that place? I can only speak for me. For me, the pain was comfortable. It was what I knew. It was my normal. It provided a false sense of safety. The unknown seemed like a greater risk especially since the element of faith wants me to take that risk without seeing what will come.
Last May, I was in a place where my budding petals were falling off, and I was withering. I had lost control of my emotions. I had no peace whatsoever. I couldn't manipulate my circumstances to how I needed them in order for me to thrive. If I didn't do something, and soon, I was going to die. At least that is what it felt like. I was desperate for change.
Let me just say boldly, everyone in their life time will have to make a decision. You either die, or choose to blossom by choosing to hand yourself over to God. Last May, I made the biggest decision of my life. I chose to bloom. While that risk seemed big, the pain was too much.
(Pssst...Before I go on, let me just say for the record... I have grown up in church. I accepted Christ as my savior at a young age. My dad was my pastor. Years in church does not equate with blooming. You can still attend church and NEVER bloom and conversely can wither.)
God's Word says in Luke 9:24, "For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will save it." Boy, this scripture scared me before. It's one of those scriptures that I pondered while in that tight bud. I mean who really wants to give their life away? I'm talking all your life.
TO FULLY BLOSSOM, YOU HAVE TO BE WILLING TO GIVE IT ALL AWAY.
You have to be willing to drink of Him. What have you been drinking instead? What has been filling your insides? Are you listening to the wrong advice? Are you filling your eyes and ears with the wrong thing? You have to be willing to spend REAL time listening for His voice. You have to be willing to read His word to see what He has to say to you. You have to be willing to make Him Lord over all areas of your life. You may say yes..but are you really? Do you ask Him how to spend your paycheck? Do you ask Him if the words coming out of your mouth are pleasing to Him? Do you work at your job as until Him? Do you seek His approval in your relationships? The list goes on and on.
You have to be willing for God to uproot you from the rocky soil you're in. That could be removing you from your social circle. It could be placing you in a church where you can be cared for. It could be a toxic relationship you're in. You have to be willing. You have to say, "Yes Lord. Let your will be done. Lead me down the path you need me to be on."
You have to be willing for His refining fire to burn away all impurities. You have to be willing to take down your defenses and say, "Here I am. All my blemishes are here for you to see. Heal me. Mold me." This is extremely difficult. I'm not going to lie. It's easy to look outwards and blame everything on everyone else. But to take a look inward is a must for maturing into that beautiful flower.
I wrote this because I know there is someone out there reading this that was in the same condition as me last May. You are on the verge of withering and dying. Whoever that may be, please be brave. Take a risk in God. I am here after taking that risk. I am living proof that if you lose your life for Him, you will save it. I have made a heavenly exchange; My life for His. Not only did I receive Him fully, I got my life back, and I live to tell the story! :) I have never been more free. I am not yet the flower God wants me to be, but I have sprouted. I am not longer tightly confined. I can breathe. I can sleep. I can smile. I can laugh. I can freely stand before God without shame and guilt. I can walk with confidence. His aroma can now be detected on me. It's a great place to be.
If you have made that decision already and want to ensure that you fully blossom exactly how God desires you to be, I encourage you to listen to my pastor's message on it. It's a powerful one that will encourage you to bloom further! It's perfectly named "Growing Up" and you can find it here:
Here is a song to encourage you:
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