NURTURE HIS FULLNESS

But he who received seed on the good ground is he who hears the word and understands it, who indeed bears fruit and produces: some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty! – Matthew 13:23

There is the need to NURTURE the Fullness of God in us. To nurture is to care for, feed, and protect (someone or something) while they are growing. Nurture is care that is given to someone while they are growing and developing. Nurture is a synonym of “nourish.” The Parable of the Sower beautifully illustrates what it means to nurture the seed of God’s word in us. In this Parable, Jesus taught that, “he who received seed among the thorns is he who hears the word, and the cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and he becomes unfruitful” (Mt.13:22). Luke’s version of the parable says: “And the ones that fell among thorns are those who, when they have heard, go out and are choked with cares, riches, and pleasures of life, and bring no fruit to maturity” (Lk.8:14). We must allow the Holy Spirit to cultivate the soil of our hearts and so enable God’s word to flourish, be fruitful, and multiply in and through us.

To continually experience God’s fullness we must spend time fostering our fellowship and nurturing our union with Him. Practically, we do these in at least three ways. First, is by becoming more aware of and communing with His Spirit within us, as it is written: “be filled with the Spirit” (Eph.5:18b). Second, is by being filled with His Word: “Let the Word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom” (Col.3:16a). Third, is by trembling at His Word; being obedient to the Word: “But in this one will I look: on him who is poor and of a contrite spirit, and who trembles at My Word” (Isa.66:2b). But all of these begin with and function by love. Jesus promised, “If anyone loves Me, he will keep My Word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him” (Jh.14:23). Nurturing His fullness implies drawing close and listening deeply to God’s full and abundant love for you.

The most important part of you is your spirit; that’s the real you. When everything in this world is over, your spirit will live on; your spirit is eternal. It’s therefore important that the spirit is trained and nurtured by the Word. Your spirit was recreated by the Word, and can only be sustained by the Word. God’s Word is the food for the nurturing your spirit. Paul testified to how the fullness of God was nurtured in his son in the faith – Timothy, right from his childhood: “and that from childhood you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus” (2Tim.3:15). It takes deep desire for “the milk of the Word” for a Christian to be nurtured from babyhood to matured manhood in Christ (1Pet.2:2).

Nurturing a close relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ is a real challenge of faith in our hectic and materialistic society. In addition to prioritising our relationship with Him, we must weed out the thorns and thistles of life – the carnal cares, deceitful riches, and worldly pleasures – that may dim the fervour of our love, deter our spiritual growth, and prevent us from experiencing the fullness of Christ. Faith is the fundamental foundation and Love the main motivation of our lives as Christians. By the power of faith which works by Love, you can triumph over all worldly thorns, and nurture the Seed of Christ’s Fullness into maturity: “looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith” (Heb.12:2a). As you allow your heart and mind to be nurtured, you’ll be enabled to more deeply enjoy God’s presence in your life.