Hi there, it’s with great joy that I welcome you to the first post in the second half of the year! First, I want to apologize for the delay in releasing the post as scheduled. The site had an issue that caused a downtime, but thankfully, it has been fixed. If you have been checking for a new post, here, you have it now. Welcome back on board!
I believe I speak your mind when I say that it will never wear us out to express our profound gratitude to the Father of all good things. Every single day we’ve lived has been by grace, I know you agree to this a hundred percent. For the little and big million miracles, what do you say to Him?
This gratitude session will be so incomplete without me turning over the pages of the book and seeing how your name has been imprinted on every page. Your consistency and dedication to this assignment beat all, and this is no sweet talk. I deeply appreciate your contributions to the progress I’ve made in keeping up with writing, and I say that you are greatly blessed on every side.
We are indeed 7 days gone into the month already, but it can never be too late to send you this word of encouragement I’m about to share. Of a truth, this is one key that we will always require to open doors all the days of our journey on Earth, so it should be held dear to your heart so you don’t forget about it.
As we move further into the second half of the year and in July, it is important that we take some lessons from a tree. “What? What’s there to learn from a common tree that can fall off or be uprooted tomorrow?”, You might say. I believe there is relevant knowledge to gain here, why not let’s walk through the path together?
I know you have not forgotten this, but permit me to remind you that a seed sown did not just transform into a full-blown tree overnight. As you already know, growth does not just apply to human beings, even plants are not left out. A lot of work must have gone down before the transformation began, we can also agree on this. However, there is something that you should note.
As the growth process continues, we witness the seed germinating into a plant, gaining ground, height, and width. This beautiful development we see is the one that is visible to the world, the sight that meets the eyes of man. But, this side of growth is not the only side that there is.
Beyond the visible, there is also a very important, much more important as a matter of fact, growth that is going on under the surface ground level. A vital part of the tree, which is the roots, continues to spread its tentacles downward and also wider, equally gaining ground.
It is so wonderful to know that the invisible downward growth under the soil is what gives a firm base to the visible tree. When the root is compromised, there is trouble at hand because the nutrient that fuels the tree above comes from the root below. Do you want to get rid of a tree? Get down to the root, get it uprooted, and watch the mighty fall!
Do you want to know what this has got to do with your existence? Well, I’ll tell you about it in a minute. I once learnt from a wise spiritual leader that there are different kinds of growth. Oh, you thought growth was just in the upward direction? Smiles, I’m pleased to inform you that there are other faces and phases to this growth.
The first class is the inward growth, to which we were called in Romans 12:2. It says “Don’t become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You’ll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what he wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you”. (MSB)
The inward growth is where your character is being built on the inside. You begin to lay aside thoughts that do not align with the super life that you have been called to live. Your thought process is being renewed to look like the perfect image after which you were made in the beginning, the image of God.
The second is the outward growth, where you allow the positive character that has been built, and the ray of light that is beaming within you to be reflected to the outside world. It is where you “Let your light so shine before men that they may see your moral excellence and your praiseworthy, noble, and good deeds and recognize and honor and praise and glorify your Father Who is in heaven (Matthew 5:16, AMP).
As you develop strength of worthy character, and you are being lighted up, your light is not just for you alone. You are to shine as light and be an example unto others, an example of who they have been called to be, a reminder of what their make-up is. Therefore, your light is not to be hidden.
We can also talk about the downward growth. This is the point where you gain roots and get stronger in your firm beliefs. You hold fast to your convictions which have been sharpened by your interaction with sound knowledge, first from the Word of God and also from other sources that found their base in the same Word.
Perhaps you thought the downward growth has a negative tone to it. On the contrary, it means to let “your spiritual roots go deeply into His life as you are continually infused with strength, encouraged in every way. For you are established in the faith you have absorbed and enriched by your devotion to Him!” (Colossians 2:7, TPT).
The last, but certainly not the least, is the upward growth. This is the one we are most familiar with, and it is very similar to outward growth. As your character is built, you also show forth good deeds, great achievements, ground-breaking ideas, and sound implementations. Your progress is seen in every aspect of life, and you are also a witness to that positive change.
At this point, we can pair up the types in this way; Inward growth holds Downward growth by the hand, while Outward and Upward growth also moves as a team! These phases are very significant in our journey for the rest of 2023 and beyond.
Have you ticked all items on your list for the year? Wow, you are such a goal-getter! I say a huge well done and congratulations to you. However, be reminded that there is always room for more achievements. No matter how successful you are at the moment, the door that leads to the room for improvement is always wide open.
Are you yet to get started on working out all you penned down? No, don’t label yourself a failure just yet! You also have a chance to get to work and do better. The point at which you fail is the point you resolve to give up and not bother taking a go.
Be reminded that your downward and inward growth fuels your upward and outward growth. The knowledge you are exposed to and feed on, your mindset, and your thoughts all sum up to give rise to the attitudes you show forth. You cannot hide your true character for long, it will always be revealed. Therefore, ensure that you feed on the right things.
“Summing it all up, friends, I’d say you’ll do best by filling your minds and meditating on things true, noble, reputable, authentic, compelling, gracious–the best, not the worst; the beautiful, not the ugly; things to praise, not things to curse” (Philippians 4:8, MSB).
Here’s my final word to you in this post; grow toward God, grow within, and grow toward people. This is to be done all day, every day!
I know it has been quite a long read, but I certainly hope that it was worth your time. Remember to send in your comments and questions. I wish you a beautiful ride in July and for the rest of the year. Till I write you again soon, stay rooted in progress!
