Repotting Yourself July 1, 2008

Probably a pretty confusing title, huh? 

So, about a year ago I bought a hibiscus plant per my mom’s advice. My parents have a really huge and beautiful hibiscus by their pool. It’s massive and has these awesome orange blooms.

I noticed about a month ago that mine looked like it was dying. The weird thing is that I water it almost every day and spray the leaves with mist, etc. I couldn’t figure out why it wasn’t growing and why it almost died. So, thinking through this obvious crisis, I realized that the pot had probably become too small for the roots and so I headed over to Wal-Mart to buy a new pot and soil. 

Three days later… the plant is growing insanely. There are new leaves sprouting all over it and you can actually see where the branches have grown. It’s pretty cool because I’m horrible with all things involving green thumbery.

I was bragging (in a very manly way, of course!) to someone about my agricultural success. I must say, I’m holding my head a bit higher these days. However, something occurred to me. There is an obvious parallel in the life of a believer.

Sometimes believers (aka Christians) get caught in a “slump” or “rut” in their walk with God. They can’t figure out why they don’t have the same joy or why they aren’t growing at the same pace they once did. They are spending the same amount of time in personal study, attending church services, even volunteering in their children’s ministry (hint hint). But, they just don’t “feel it” anymore.

Let me suggest that they need to repot themselves. Change is good and is a part of growth. Routine, in my opinion, is limiting and deadly. They need to put themselves in a new “culture” within or outside of the church. A change of routine or schedule forces you to rethink and rework your entire day. Maybe join a new small group that you would have never considered. Force yourself to go to a different Starbucks in the morning… or maybe not go at all! Surround yourself with new believers who might provide a new perspective on life and the Christian walk.

Looking at the life and missionary journeys of Paul, you can see that he was all about change in culture and environment. His passion for God stayed fresh because he never fell into the rut of routine. He was constantly exploring new methods to present the Gospel and contextualize the message. His life is an example for the “stuck” believer.

This is, in a sense, “repotting” yourself. Give it a try if you feel stuck!