Growing in Faith

<p>At the beginning of my gardening journey, I&rsquo;d wake up early and run to my vegetable garden to see if anything had sprouted. Nothing. After an internet search for &ldquo;fast garden growth,&rdquo; I learned that the seedling stage is the most important phase of a plant&rsquo;s lifespan. Knowing now that this process couldn&rsquo;t be rushed, I came to appreciate the strength of small sprouts fighting their way through the soil toward the sun and their resilience to temperamental weather. After waiting patiently for a few weeks, I was finally greeted by bursts of green sprouts creeping through the soil.</p> <p>Sometimes it&rsquo;s easy to praise the victories and triumphs in our lives without similarly acknowledging that growth in our character often comes through time and struggle. James instructs us to &ldquo;consider it pure joy&rdquo; when we &ldquo;face trials of many kinds&rdquo; (James 1:2). But what could possibly be delightful about trials?</p> <p>God will sometimes allow us to go through challenges and hardships so that we can be molded into who He&rsquo;s called us to be. He waits in anticipation for us to come out of the trials of life &ldquo;mature and complete, not lacking anything&rdquo; (v. 4). By staying grounded in Jesus, we can persevere through any challenge, growing stronger and ultimately allowing the fruit of the Spirit to blossom in our lives (Galatians 5:22&ndash;23). His wisdom gives us the nourishment we need to truly flourish each and every day (John 15:5).</p>