Bloom Where You Are Planted

Let us not become weary in well doing. For in due season we shall reap if we faint not (Galatians 6:9).

And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that brings forth his fruit in his season; his leaf shall not wither; and whatsoever he does shall prosper (Psalms 1:5).

Has God planted you in the church you are in right now? Then bloom there.

I’m a gardener by hobby and have gained experience at it over the years. I work in flower beds & landscaping, with potted plants, bonsai, and herbs. Something I have come to learn about plants is that you CANNOT TRANSPLANT them TOO OFTEN or the roots will shrivel and stunt the growth of the plant. Yes, transplanting is possible but you’ve got to know the limits. Go beyond those limits and the plant loses its potential. The best thing you can do for any living plant is to put it in the ground and give the roots time to get established. Then stand back and watch it bloom.

As Christians we are expected to bear fruit. That’s why God has planted you where you are – so you can bloom there. God wants us to have strong roots, to get established, and to be fully grounded.

Your church is like a vineyard. It’s a place where the soil is fertile and there is plenty of sunlight. Nourishment is provided by the Word of God, and God Himself is the gardener (John 15). God has planted you there for a reason and it’s in this place that you will flourish the best. Until the gardener Himself transplants you, do not uproot yourself. Your growth will be stunted and your fruit minimal. People who move themselves too often are actually WORKING AGAINST God’s plan for their lives. The end result is unfruitfulness, empty relationships, no significant ministry accomplishments, a pile of forsaken churches, and a nagging sense of detachment from the body of Christ

Yes, it’s easy to lose sight of this lofty spiritual notion (that God has planted me here) when you are bogged down in vacuuming the church carpet, trying to meet the expectations of dear old Sister Sadie, or doing some unthankful job that nobody notices. These mundane (and yes, trying) tasks sometimes take us to the limit of our patience and make “leaving the church” seem attractive. But these are also the seasons through which we grow and bear most fruit.

What I find most troubling are those people who change churches all the time and never become established in any one place for any length of time. They always believe that a better church is just over the next hill; that a better opportunity exists anywhere other than where I am right now. This is what you might call “OPPORTUNITY BLINDNESS” – a belief that my current church is merely a stepping stone to something better. As such, they treat every church they attend as SEMI-TEMPORARY. In some unexplainable, self-fulfilling way, this person will always see his current assignment as RESTRICTIVE and SUFFOCATING. Yet the opportunities he hopes to find in another place already exist in the place he currently resides.

Every church, regardless of its size, location, or history – has opportunities and potential built into it that are just waiting to be discovered. All you have to do is stay planted – it’s there that you will bloom.