Tools for Growth 01-15-16 (part IV) A Fertile Environment

A Fertile Environment: A fertile environment denotes soil that has had unnecessary rocks and weeds removed from it, where the soil has been deeply cultivated and developed, and plenty of moisture made available for the seedlings to grow. It’s the responsibility of the farmer to provide that for the seeds.

How does God provide that environment for us? Here’s what I’m discovering in my life. Most often He has used other people to surround me and facilitate growth. For example, I have three prayer partners with whom I talk and pray every week via phone conversations. Each one has ended up taking on a unique and valuable role in my life. One of them specializes in affirmation and encouragement of my identity and self-worth (the moisture). Another is able to ask me questions that help pinpoint areas of growth and maturation I need to keep me on track (the weeding). And another is invaluable in giving me a sense of where God is in my life, helping me to connect more meaningfully with Him (pointing to the sunlight). All three have been provided to me by God to provide an environment significantly conducive to my growth and development.

The psychiatrist Paul Tournier has made the profound observation: there are two things in life you can’t do alone – be married, and be spiritual. We were designed to experience wholeness in life in the context of meaningful relationships with others. God provides people in our lives to facilitate a fertile environment for growth. We cannot do the journey alone and expect to end up with a harvest of abundance and fruitfulness.