THRIVE

Thrive: to prosper, be fortunate or successful, to grow or develop vigorously, flourish. 
Synonyms include: shine, blossom, rise, radiate, progress, bear fruit.

My spirit and soul long to thrive.  I have been in "survival mode" for far too long, and I suspect that many of us feel that way.  Just getting by and not really expecting anything else.  God dropped the word "thrive" into my spirit this morning as I was getting ready to go to church, and He gave me a plant analogy to go with it.  I have plants in the three large south facing windows of my classroom.  The spider plants and the wandering Jews are surviving, but just barely.  They don't get watered often enough, and they definitely need some fertilizer.  However, the 3 aloe plants are thriving in the very same spot.  They have taken over their pots and grown tall and strong.  They are the most beautiful green, and each leaf is plump with healing aloe gel. 

Plants don't get to choose where they are planted, but God has given them the most amazing adaptations to allow them to THRIVE in their environments.  They grow where the sunlight, and soil conditions, and water amounts, and temperature are just right for them.  God meets their needs each day, just as He longs to meet our every need.  The Apostle Paul wrote to the Philippians, "And this same God who takes care of me will supply all your needs from His glorious riches, which have been given to us in Christ Jesus."  (Philippians 4:19)  We should be like sunflowers, turning our faces to the Son and receiving what we need from Him.

The sign of a THRIVING flowering plant is that it bears good fruit, and lots of it!  If I were an apple tree, I'm sure I would be guilty of thinking, "I'm tired of bearing apples.  I want to be like that tree over there...I want to bear peaches!  Everyone wants peaches...apples are boring!"  Sound familiar?  Each fruit bearing plant is specially designed to create its specific kind of fruit.  Likewise, we humans are each created uniquely to fulfill our own special God-given purposes.  The only person we should want to imitate is Jesus.

I shared the word THRIVE with my pastor this morning and he enthusiastically responded, "You need to read Hosea 6:3!"  It says, "Oh, that we might know the Lord!  Let us press on to know Him.  He will respond to us as surely as the arrival of dawn or the coming of rains in the early spring."  There is the key to THRIVING...pressing on to know the Lord.  I will admit that I am just learning how to press on to know Him.  I'm so grateful to have pastors who challenge me, encourage me, and point me to Jesus.  They want me to THRIVE! 

In John 15:5, Jesus says, "Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in Me, and I in them, will produce much fruit.  For apart from Me, you can do nothing."  How do we "remain in Jesus"?  It takes time...in the Bible, in prayer, in learning about Him.  It sounds simple, and it is, but this world is filled with distractions.  The enemy does not want us to THRIVE and he will use whatever it takes to keep us from focusing on Jesus and pressing in to know Him. 

My heart's desire is to display the synonyms of THRIVE: shine, blossom, rise, radiate, progress, bear fruit, develop vigorously, flourish!  I'm choosing to press on to know the Lord.  I'm choosing to remain in Him.  I want to do more than just survive.  I want to THRIVE!