Slow Growth

I recently noticed that two groups of ancient vocations are often contrasted with one another: the hunter-gatherer and the farmer. The hunter is the one who goes out looking for prey or to find the resource needed, not knowing what will be found. The farmer is the opposite. They have a plot of land, they till it, plant it, water it, tend to it, and then see it produce a harvest. Even in Genesis chapter 4 there is Abel who kept sheep, and Cain who was a worker of the ground.

I’ve learned that recruiters for sales jobs often will ask a job candidate if they view themselves more as a hunter or a farmer. They are hoping to learn if the candidate views themselves as chasing leads, and closing new deals (the hunter) or if they are more inclined to build relationships and grow sales through existing clients (the farmer). The trick is that to be successful in sales, a sales team really needs both.

Here’s what I have noticed: when it comes to our spiritual lives I think we can drift to seeking out the next spiritual high or mountaintop experience with God, when He has already provided everything we need for a close personal walk with Him through the spiritual disciplines. The temptation is to define your spiritual health by your emotions or by the perceived intensity of your relationship with God, instead of by consistent faithful obedience to Christ.

You see, there is a thrill when you go on the hunt. It’s an adventure. You sign up to go to a new conference, retreat, or camp hoping to have an encounter with God. You long for supernatural signs and miracles as a confirmation from God. It’s poring over resources, books, podcasts, and YouTube videos hoping to find the one nugget of information that will change everything in your Christian walk. When you find it, it’s exhilarating! When those experiences seem to be missing or have faded in your memory, you slog through the emotional valley continuing to look for it.

The prophet Zechariah was speaking to the people of Israel after their return from exile and as the rebuilding of the temple in Jerusalem was occurring. In Zechariah 4:6-10 we find this:

Then he said to me, “This is the word of the LORD to Zerubbabel: Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, says the LORD of hosts. Who are you, O great mountain? Before Zerubbabel you shall become a plain. And he shall bring forward the top stone amid shouts of ‘Grace, grace to it!’”

Then the word of the LORD came to me, saying, “The hands of Zerubbabel have laid the foundation of this house; his hands shall also complete it. Then you will know that the LORD of hosts has sent me to you.  For whoever has despised the day of small things shall rejoice, and shall see the plumb line in the hand of Zerubbabel.”

A couple of amazing things stand out here. First, in verse 6 it is the Lord who promises that he will work. It’s not by your might or under your own power that you will succeed. Instead it is by God’s Spirit. So when we desire a closeness with God, it comes through His Spirit working within us. If you are a Christian, the Spirit of God already dwells within you. There will be a closeness with God as you listen as the Spirit teaches, corrects, convicts you of sin, and empowers you to live a life of holiness before the Lord.

Second, in verse 10 it says, “For whoever has despised the day of small things shall rejoice.” I think the Lord in His providence knew that for the people of Israel there were going to be days rebuilding the temple where it was just laying one block after another. There would be some mundane-feeling days along the way. So he reminded them that when the project is completed they will rejoice because of the faithful days of doing small things.

This sort of encouragement is to be more like the farmer when it comes to your faith. Work little by little. Plant a seed, water it, tend it. And wait on God to bring the growth (1 Corinthians 3:6). What I’m arguing for is the regular practice of the Spiritual Disciplines. Donald Whitney defines the disciplines as, “the God-given means we are to use in the Spirit-filled pursuit of Godliness.” So he is affirming, like Zechariah, that it is the Spirit that is going to work through these disciplines. Whitney’s emphasis is that we should lean into the means God has provided to us in his Word, the Bible. What are examples of these disciplines? Bible intake, prayer, worship, evangelism, service, stewardship, fasting, silence, journaling, and learning. There are more, but these are a great start.

There is no doubt that pursuing these Spiritual disciplines is not as flashy or always as immediately emotionally stimulating as the hunt for spirituality. Just imagine spending the day fasting and praying in solitude compared to attending a sold-out worship gathering with thousands of other participants. I don’t mean to say that God can’t use the large gathering to encourage you in your faith. God can and does use both the big and the simple.

If you choose to pursue these disciplines for slow growth, the Lord promises to answer you. We know this is true because they have been given to us in God’s word. Pursue the Spiritual Disciplines. Work little by little. When you look back, you will rejoice at the days spent on the small things, because of God’s faithfulness to you during them.