Six years ago, I planted a little dogwood tree in my front yard. Every spring I look forward to it blooming beautiful pink flowers like I see on other dogwoods in my neighborhood. But every year I am a little disappointed. There are dead branches, and many of the already patchy blooms are wilted at the tips. Why isn’t my little tree flourishing? Earlier this week, I jumped onto Google to figure out the problem. The problem is that I am not taking care of my tree properly.
Apparently, my little dogwood would do better if it wasn’t planted in full sun where it is “susceptible to dogwood borers and heat stress”. In early winter, I should be pruning the dead branches. I should have 4” to 6” of mulch around the base of the tree. And I should water it in such a way that I don’t saturate the leaves, which promotes fungal growth. I guess my periodic watering and sincere belief that it was going to be a great little tree are not enough.
Just as there are certain practices that we can do to see dogwood trees flourish and grow, there are certain practices that Christians can do to see their spiritual lives flourish and grow. I know that there are times I have treated my relationship with God like I have treated my dogwood tree. I assumed that periodic attention to spiritual things and believing in Jesus was enough. But the results were disappointing. Yet with a little care, we can all have vibrant, life-giving relationships with Jesus.
What does this spiritual care look like? Well, it’s pretty simple, but it isn’t easy. First, we flourish as we learn to dwell in the presence of God—when we learn to find ourselves daily resting in him and reorienting ourselves to him. Just fifteen minutes at the start of each day can set us on a trajectory of experiencing Jesus throughout the day. Second, being in community with believers regularly—worshipping together weekly—grounds us in our identity as the people of God. Third, practicing Sabbath rest weekly rejuvenates us to run the race Jesus has set before us. Regular rhythms of worship and rest keep us connected with the living God. Through this spiritual care, we will flourish and bear much fruit.