Last year I wrote a post called, “Preparing Your Soil“. God laid this message on my heart as we were all experiencing the Pandemic. I heard the message very clearly but wasn’t exactly sure what He meant. Throughout this past year, this message has continued to gnaw on me. I receive confirmation daily of how important as a body of believers that we must be in a preparation mode. I believe we are being raised up for God’s Kingdom by the droves.
As this message continues to pop up for me, I began “digging in” (pun intended) about the first step in preparing soil has to do with cultivation. This means breaking up the soil in order to be able to sow and plant. Any of us who has ever worked in the garden understands the importance of breaking up the soil prior to new planting. We have to smash up the clumps of soil, remove rocks and sticks, and add some nutrients back into the soil. This process requires some work.
It is easy to see how this relates to believers. In order for God to grow good fruit within us, He must prepare us, break down non-productive aspects of our lives, and feed us via His sustenance through the Holy Spirit. God must cultivate His people in order to produce an abundance within us.
So how do you and I need to be cultivated? What must be broken down and removed in order to do the work God has called us to embark upon? What nutrients do you need to add in order to bring forth a strong crop? Let’s look at each of these questions a bit further:
- How do I need to be cultivated? Taking a deep and personal dive into oneself is essential to know what areas of your life need cultivating? What are you struggling with? What is holding you back in life? Being able to identify the areas of your life that need to be cultivated, dug up, and re-worked is key.
- What needs to be broken to allow for new growth? What barriers are in your way? Are these barriers yourself, other people, self-doubt, laziness, lack of motivation, health-related, or something else? Too many times there are things staring us straight in our faces that we miss because we choose not to see them. Understanding what needs to be removed in our lives requires a wake-up call.
- What nutrients for growth are needed? Once you know what is lacking or in need of repair, you can then assess the areas of improvement. Perhaps you need some coaching, training, or studying. It may mean you need to re-locate to find your growth potential. Being open to ways to grow and become stronger, more resilient, and producing may require a new way of thinking.
Now it is time to cultivate! Get out of the way of your old way of thinking and seek ways to be productive, prosperous, and positive. Our Almighty God has a plan for your life. He desires to see your life in full abundance. Are you in the way? If so, give yourself a much-needed life assessment and get busy for the Kingdom.