To a casual observer it might seem like my India ministry is a one month a year involvement. That is not true. It is true that the almost 5 weeks I spend there are far more active and intense than the other 47 weeks of the year, but all are equally important. Living things seem to grow in spurts, but the times in between growth spurts are as important as the times of growth. Without these times of less concentrated action, that which was accomplished won’t have time to be assimilated and applied.
That is true in nature and in ministry. There cannot be a continual growth spurt or the organism will not be able to sustain itself and will perish.The time when I am not in India is needed for the pastors there to assimilate and apply what they have learned. New friendships must strengthen and grow. New truths passed on to others. I, too, need time to refresh physically, apply all God has been teaching me, and prepare new lessons and books for the next trip. Many pastors receive monthly support from us, and that continues all year long. Local pastors’ fellowships form and grow in the locations we had conferences. Books are read and studied, then passed on to others. The 11 months that I am not in India are as important as the one month I am there.
That is true in your life and mine as well. Spiritual growth hits us in spurts – times of great worship, fresh insights, growing faith, feeling God’s presence in a very real and special way and victory in challenging areas of life. Sometimes we think those times should last forever, but they can’t and don’t. The new growth must solidify and become part of our being, just like the growth rings that mark a tree’s maturing. Don’t be disappointed if you aren’t always in growth spurt mode. It won’t happen. And don’t just coast until the next growth spurt hits. Until you integrate and apply what you learned during the last burst of spiritual progress you won’t be ready for another round of advancement. Live faithfully now, between spurts, in the nitty-gritty of everyday life. That’s where our faith really gets lived out. (Doylestown, PA March 17, 2015)
1 Corinthians 3:6-7 I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God made it grow. So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow.
When was your last spiritual growth spurt? What have you been doing since to assimilate what you learned into daily life? Go back and remember what God taught you and think about how you can apply it to your life today.
NEWS:The 2,750 new Telugu Bibles that have been purchased have arrived and are being distributed in India. 75,000 tracts are being printed and distributed as well.
PRAYER REQUESTS: Thank God for these Bibles and pray God would protect them and use them for His glory!Continue to pray for the men translating the book on Bible Overview. Pray for time to do it, wisdom in how to translate, and that the truth of God’s Word be clearly conveyed through it all.We are in need of people to give $25 a month to help support a pastor in India. Pray for people to be willing to do this, and ask God if it is something He wants you to do.