He is not the God of the dead, but of the living, for to him all are alive.” Luke 20:38

I had the privilege to intern under Rev. Peter Lord in Titusville, Florida over 35 years ago.  He was a master at visible illustration to accent the main points of his sermon.  I still remember his words about soul care.  

After pouring salt water into a beautiful 3 foot inside fern potted plant, He asked, “Is this plant alive or dead”? He continued, “this plant is already dying, the salt is already being absorbed into the roots and starting to kill the plant.”  Then he added the kicker, “You people, know more about how to care for a silly plant than you do for your own soul!  You are pouring salt into your life every day and don’t realize that it is killing the spiritual life in you.” Then he added, “Today, I want to talk with you about soul care.”

How do you know if you are healthily growing in Christ?  What do you use as your standard of comparison for growth? To compare ourselves with others is not wise as it leads to judgmentalism, pride or a sense of failure. It may lead to thinking that we are better than other people or we think that we are never going to be as good as others, neither is a good indicator for spiritual growth.

Is growth really that important?  Jesus said, ““I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. 2 He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes[a] so that it will be even more fruitful.” John 15:1-2.  Jesus expects growth and fruit in our lives.

So, how would you answer the question? How do you know if you are growing in a healthy way in Jesus? What’s your standard of measurement? Do you know whether you are drinking salt water or from living water? 

May you be fruitful today. May you walk in the abiding presence of Jesus. May you be blessed with making right decisions of obedience and rejecting the path of fleshly desires. May your ears receive the sweetness of the still small voice of your heavenly Father saying, “you are My child in whom I am well pleased.

Blessings Love y’all