A Well Balanced Diet

As I said yesterday, all living plants have the same life cycle, basically, in common. I would like to take that a step further. All living plants do have the same life cycle, but they also require the same things in order to grow. They are :

1. Sun
2. Water
3. Soil

(yes I realize that oceanic plants and some others don't use "soil" to get nutrients, but the principle is still the same... just let me get there.)

As I said, before I was so rudely interrupted, by me...

Ah yes... Sun, Water, Soil...

These are the three basic elements of life for any type of plant on earth. Each of these elements provides a different aspect of nutrition to the plant. Each one adding to the health of the plant. There is a delicate balance that must be maintained between them. Too much of any one element or not enough of any one element and the plant can not thrive, it may survive, but it will not flourish and be as fruitful as it was created to be.


Too much sun... the plant is scorched and burned

Too much water... the plant will drown or be washed away

Too much soil... the seed won't be able to reach the surface and will die underground

For any career farmer, or even your weekend gardener, these are very real dangers that must be kept in check as the plant is first starting to grow. As the tree or shrub matures, it will be able to take more abuse if things were not as they should be, but in the beginning of its life-cycle, the balance is literally a life and death struggle.

I believe that growing in faith is the same way. As believers we require three separate and distinct elements in order to grow spiritually.

1. Fellowship
1. Worship
1. Discipleship

Just as with the plant, each of these elements provides something different to the life-cycle of faith and the health of the Christian. They also must be kept in proper balance, just like their organic counter-parts, if they are to yield the best fruit in the person's life. I do not believe that there can be "too much" of any one of these elements in our lives, but just like the plant, I do believe there is a very real danger if they get out of balance and one area become the focus.

We must strive in our daily lives as well as our corporate lives as bodies of believers to keep balance in our faith. We must realize that just like the brand new plant that has just broken ground, a new believer is just as fragile in their understanding and experience of living the faith we are in. For their sake, if not our own, we must provide them a "well balanced diet" if we expect them to grow and become healthy enough to reproduce themselves.


- Just a thought.