Like God created the sun to nurture nature, He also provides resources to nurture and grow your spiritual life, so you are enriched to live out His purposes.
All seasons have a unique beauty, but there is something about Autumn that captures my attention more than others.
Maybe what captivates me is the abundance of colours from the orange and yellow pigments appearing in the leaves on the poplar trees that later crunch under my boots like the crackling sparks of a camp-fire.
In spring the sun light supplies resources to nurture and grow plants, flowers, and trees, but in autumn, as light decreases and crops are harvested, we are still enriched by multitudes of colours, sounds, and smells.
Each season provides generous blessings, forthright and seen, for us to enjoy and give thanks for.
When we nurture our spiritual life, filling our hearts up with Jesus, our gratitude for God’s blessings naturally grows.
Also, with our hearts are filled up with Jesus, we act and react in our identity in Christ impacting the world with the words, gifts, and talents God gave each of us.
A heart full of Jesus does not feel deprived but so full of love for God, self, and others that generosity abounds! And when we are generous, we are not only using our God-given gifts and abilities to bless others, we are also giving thanksgiving to God.
“Now he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge your harvest of your righteousness. You will be enriched in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God.” 2 Corinthians 9:10
When we feel we are lacking, we get grumpy, frustrated, disappointed, discouraged – all things that are not of a giving nature. But when we feel satisfied and full we:
- don’t act harshly
- are generous with our time and resources
- speak encouraging words
How can we nurture and grow our spiritual life? How can we cultivate generosity with the resources God gave us?
Three Ways to Nurture and Grow Your Spiritual Life
God designed us to take intentional action to learn, to change, and to develop new habits. Below are three actions that help nurture and grow your spiritual life.
1. Fill your heart with Jesus through His promises to you
Trudy at Freed to Fly has an alphabet full of Jesus’s love promises to you at the ABC’s of Jesus’s Love
2. Invest in yourself so you grow in the gifts God has given you.
One way to grow in your gifts is to discover how God made you! One of my favourite strength assessments is Clifton Strengths. When I feel scattered, or unsure of goals to pursue, I’ll review my Clifton Strengths assessment as a reminder of my God-given strengths (and weaknesses).
3. Intentionally bless others
“To encourage means to put courage in. Conversely, to discourage means “to draw courage out.” The Power of Your Words by Robert Morris
Blessing another can be as simple as a word of encouragement. Is there someone you can “put courage in” today?
God made each of us unique; from our fingerprints to the number of hairs on our head. You have something special to bring to the world that only you can bring.
How will you to nurture and grow your spiritual life today (that will naturally bless others, too)?
Reflection Questions:
- How will you invest in the resources God has given you?
- What can you do today to nurture your spiritual life?
- How will you enrich the world today?
“Never think you don’t have an impact, your fingerprints can’t be wiped away from the little marks of kindness you’ve left on the world.” – unknown (Bella Grace Issue 37)
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Lynn, this is a wonderful message. Thank you so much. Giving thanks to God can change our outlook. 🙂 Have a blessed day!
Thank you, Melissa! Have a blessed day, too!
I was so surprised to see the link to “ABC’s of Jesus’ Love,” Lynn. Thank you. I loved gathering those love promises, and even though it has been a while since then, they are timeless and essential to nurturing our souls and lives, aren’t they? Thank you for encouraging me to meditate on them more. I love all your nurturing reflections here! Love, hugs, and blessings to you!
Your “ABC’s of Jesus Love” are very nurturing for our souls, Trudy. I’m so blessed to have come upon them. Thank you for putting something so timeless together. Hug back to you!
It’s like nurturing knows know age limit. We yearn for it from life’s beginning to end. Thankfully, the Spirit never leaves us, never forsakes us, and feeds our souls deeply as we lean into Him. Thanks for those reflection questions, too, Lynn. Sometimes the answers aren’t easy, are they.
( I love the carrots.)
Yes, nurturing knows no age limit. And we get wiser as we get older, of course! The carrots are so sweet, Linda, literally. I’m blessed to be married to man who love gardening!