Memes and motivational talks urge us to, “Bloom where you are planted.”
That phrase is one I clung to during a time of being planted where I didn’t want to be planted, where I didn’t want to put down roots, where I didn’t want to bloom. Yet, I clung to that phrase because I knew those where days, months, and years I would never get back if I wasted them away moping about the soil God had planted me in. And through his grace, I learned to let myself put down roots even when they might be ripped up, to bloom even in the rocky places.
Blooming where we are planted is part of God’s plan for our lives, but the blooming is only one part.
Each spring, weeks before the trees fully leaf out and the grass turns green, the wild plums burst forth with a spray of fragrant white flowers. Blossoms cover the branches of the bushes and release their delicious scent into the wind. The blooming of the plums right where they are planted announces the arrival of spring and bring beauty to the world still clothed in drab browns. And what a joyous sight they are! What delight they bring!
But announcing spring and providing beauty is not the main purpose of the plum blossoms. The purpose of the blossoms is not the glory of their delicate white petals or sweet fragrance. The purpose of the blossoms only becomes evident in their death for in their death fruit is born.
In order to bear fruit, a flower must die for the flower withers, the fruit begins to take shape.
Just as nature works according to God’s design and the green plums begin to grow where blossom once stood, the Holy Spirit works in our hearts and love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (Galatians 5:22-23) begin to develop where the blossoms of salvation began the good work of Christ in our lives. Salvation is only the beginning of what God has in store for us if we abide in him.
As we abide in Christ and die to ourselves, the Holy Spirit takes the beauty of salvation and matures it into fruit. And so it appears we are dying, yet we are only dying to ourselves so that Christ may live through us so that the Holy Spirit can do his work.
As we die to ourselves, the Holy Spirit
- Grows love
- Produces joy
- Cultivates peace
- Expands patience
- Balloons kindness
- Fosters faithfulness
- Nurtures gentleness
- Establishes self-control
“Then Jesus told his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what shall a man give in return for his soul?” ~Matthew 16:24-26
Yes, we must bloom where we are planted, but simply blooming is not enough; we must die to ourselves for without death, there can be no fruit. Without the withering death of the blossom there would be no ripe plum to make delicious wild plum jelly, without the withering death of ourselves there will be no beautiful fruits of the spirit to testify to wonder of our Savior.
