Have you ever read something, and when you were done, you found it hard to even remember what you just read?  Or how about this?  Have you read something often enough to glide right over familiar words without even really giving them much thought?  The second scenario happened to me today as I was finishing up the book of 2 Peter.  

Second Peter wasn’t written to a certain “church”, like some of the other New Testament epistles are.  The audience of this letter included both Jews and Gentiles, even though Peter’s primary ministry was to the Jews.  After reminding the audience of who they were in Christ and how Christ equipped them to live a vibrant life of faith, Peter went on to warn them about false teachers who may creep into their midst and the dangers in following their lies.  At the end of the letter, Peter commanded these people to be on their guard against the false teaching that can lead them to stray from the truth they’d been taught.  

After Peter commanded them not to get carried away by error, He then gave them one last command – grow.  That little word “grow” is where I want to linger a bit today.  

“But grow in the grace and knowledge 
of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ…”
~~2 Peter 3:18 ~~

In the Greek language, the word grow (auxano) means to grow or increase, and is often used to describe the growth process of plants. The mention of plants got my mind going!  Big surprise, huh? haha.  

We put a garden in again this year.  There were so many things that needed doing in preparing and in maintaining our garden. 

• We had to till the soil and remove any rocks that would keep the roots from going deep into the soil.  
• We had to plant the seeds/seedlings.  
• We had to put up a fence to keep the plants safe from the critters that could nibble on the young plants and damage them, thwarting their growth.  
• We had to go out and hoe the ground around the plant bases to ensure the water soaked in and didn’t just lay on top of soil that had become hardened.  
• When it didn’t rain, we had to water the garden.  
• We had to repeatedly pull weeds that would pop up and threaten to choke out the healthy plants.  (And isn’t it “funny” that we have to tend plants, but weeds just seem to pop up overnight?!)  
• We pruned the plants so the nutrients went to the branches that were bearing blossoms and veggies.  

All the steps we took to grow a garden really mirror how we grow spiritually.  Till the soil of your heart.  “Break up your fallow ground! Do not waste your seed among the thorns” (Jeremiah 4:3).  By the way, “fallow ground” is once cultivated land that is allowed to lie idle during the growing season.  If you have drifted from the Lord, it’s never too late to till and rake the soil of your heart so that the seeds of truth from God’s word can grow and produce fruit.  Guard your heart.  “Guard your heart with all diligence…” (Proverbs 4:23).  The word “guard” (nâtsar) includes the ideas of both protecting AND maintaining.  Protecting and maintaining encompass a lot — erecting spiritual fences to protect your heart and mind from thought patterns that will weaken your faith — watering and feeding the plants — pulling weeds that block the “Son-shine” as well as choke out the roots drawing nutrients.  

Scroll back up to the picture at the beginning of the blog.  Which garden pictures looks more like the condition of your heart?

“Grow” is a command.  “Grow” is a process.  “Grow” takes effort. 
If that doesn’t describe the sanctification process, I don’t know what does!!