(Spiritual Phototrophism)

As a retired forester, my wife knows that I like to read articles about trees. She recently sent me an article entitled, “An Old Tree Doesn’t Get Taller, But Bulks Up Like A Bodybuilder” written by Richard Harris on Science Short Wave, npr.org, January 16, 2014, and cited from an article in the Journal Nature.   I think she may have been poking a bit of fun at me, age 73, referencing my height decreasing and the bulk around my waist increasing.

However, the term related to the growth pattern in trees, not people, that I learned in forestry school way back in the ’70s is “Indeterminate Growth”. It is not a new concept in forestry science, however, there are advancements relating to increased understanding.

The article states: Once trees reach a certain height, they do stop getting taller. So many foresters figured that tree growth — and girth — also slowed with age. “What we found was the exact opposite,” says Nate Stephenson, a forest ecologist with the U.S. Geological Survey, based in California’s Sequoia and Kings Canyon national parks. “Tree growth rate increases continuously as trees get bigger and bigger,” Stephenson says.

Basically, from what I remember, a tree will continue to grow as long as it is alive and receiving resources. The rate and continuation of growth are determined (limited) by “limiting factors”, such as light, nutrients, and water. Limiting factors can be extended beyond the resources noted above to include factors such as predation (animals, disease), environment, climate (temperature, precipitation), cataclysmic events, and vegetation population density.  

The research, per this study, shows that although a tree does stop adding height it does not stop growing. The lack of addition to height may be environmental, physical, or genetic. I have read that gravity resistance makes water and nutrient transport difficult at great heights. It appears, however, that indeterminant growth in trees is an actual phenomenon. This growth in the girth of the tree adds strength, value, and appearance.

There is also the theory that it is not the total amount (availability or scarcity) of resources or other limiting factors available that control growth, but the one, scarcest resource. There may be plenty of everything except, say, a single resource such as water, and a tree would have difficulty thriving.  Water, then, will be the main determining growth/survivability factor. This is called Liebig’s Law of the Minimum. This law has been applied to more than just plants and natural resource ecosystems. It has also been applied to human nutrition, economics, and marketing systems.  

 As I read this article about tree growth and thought about Liebig’s Law, it occurred to me that there are applications to universal and personal parallels related to human spiritual growth.  And, I will emphasize here that I believe not all spiritual systems are healthy. A spiritual system based upon Biblical principles and precepts will result in spiritual growth.  More on that later.

So, what may be the external or internal limiting factors relating to Biblical Spiritual Growth? Is spiritual growth indeterminant in the sense that it, in total or in part, may or may not stop?  Let’s explore.

Purposely, not getting into a discussion on Biblical predestination, I will limit my conclusions to my experiences, and some limited botany.   In botany, indefinite growth is not having all the axes (stems of a plant) terminating in a flower bud and so producing a shoot of indefinite length.  The emphasis here is “all the axes”.  This means some will terminate (stop growing in length), possibly flower, and possibly produce fruit; some will not.  They will continue to add growth until some external or internal factor terminates the growth.  Typically, that added and continued growth is positive for the plant.  However, in a confined, ill-suited environment it may become detrimental.

In my experiences relating to spiritual growth, we (individuals with many options, choices, and growth potential –“axis”), can go down many paths (environment). Some options and paths may or may not result in growth.  Some may or may not produce flowers, and may or may not bear fruit.  Some may look good on the outside (flower) but result in dead ends, and cessation of growth, with no potential for meaningful reproduction.  Those that produce little or no fruit resemble legalistic, works-based, spiritually devoid paths (environments) that have great length but no depth.  The environments in which they exist are confined, perverted, and unhealthy.  Spiritual growth and maturity resulting in healthy, viable fruit will be impossible.  The person, (plant) must be removed from the suffocating environment and transplanted within an environment based upon Biblical principles and precepts.  Without an infusion of the Holy Spirit (fertilizer), there will be no meaningful growth or reproduction.

This Biblical worldview (environment) is like someone opening a window in a stuffy, closed-up room and allowing fresh, clean air to enter.  This is the freedom of God’s offering of undeserved grace to anyone who will receive it.  Unconstrained from a legalistic, self-focused, self-righteous, works-based mindset that is based upon earning God’s favor, if accepted, will result in growth and fruit.

An unhealthy environment can be likened to poor soil where a seed will not flourish – possibly only from the lack of one necessary resource.  To put this in terms of a spiritual system, a false system may have just enough resources (some truth), resulting in some growth but not flourishing or reproducing.  It may have an infertile flower with no ability for pollination. It looks good on the outside but is dead on the inside.  It withers and dies due to the lack of needed nourishment.

On the other hand, a healthy environment is like deep, rich soil that contains all of the resources necessary (Truth) for flourishing, flowering, and reproducing.  The resulting “plant” can withstand a scorching sun or invading thorns.  Jesus spoke of this.  It is recorded in Mark 4 and Matthew 13.

“A farmer went out to sow his seed.  As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up.  Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow.  But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root.  Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants.  Still other seed fell on good soil, where it produced a crop—a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown.  Whoever has ears, let them hear.”

I am a Christian (an imperfect but dedicated Christ-follower). Therefore; I believe that true spiritual growth means becoming more like the “Object” to which I am dedicated – Jesus Christ. 

Striving for any other objective in my view would be spiritual growth deprivation. To become more like Jesus means incorporating His character into my life. 

It means replacing my broken, sinful character with His unbroken, sinless character.

My spiritual journey included the study, and even briefly following, other spiritual disciplines over many years. This included walking alongside many others who were on their spiritual journeys. I experienced many “limiting factors” in my life and the lives of others that include environmental, social, familial, physical, resource availability, nutrient availability (physical, emotional), time, focus (faith), dedication, and yes, predation. Some of these have an inverse relationship to healthy spiritual growth. A great deal of dedication may be very helpful. A great deal of predation (opposition) may be very defeating. 

Just one is all it takes!

I experienced the very real fact that even though I incorporated a long list of positive factors in my spiritual journey, just the lack of or minimization of one stunted my growth.  Just the addition of one negative factor could knock me down, or cripple me spiritually – like a tree struck by one bolt of lightning. I could be dedicated to reading and studying my Bible.  Looking on the outside like a productive “flower”, but on the inside, secretly pursuing just one sinful activity. Just one is all it takes!

Spiritual Phototrophism

I have seen trees blown over yet with their roots still firmly secured in the soil and the tree living.  Though scarred, and misshapen, and having their growth slowed by trauma, they lived with limbs and branches turning toward the sun – the source of light.   In forestry, we know this as phototrophism (photo=light, trophism=turning in response to an external stimulus).

Spiritual phototrophism is me, and you, turning our faces to the Light of the world – Jesus Christ (John 8:12).  In Him we can live and flourish despite our failures, setbacks, and disappointments.  Our faces turned toward Him.  Our roots are firmly planted in His, rich soil – thriving – even amid difficult circumstances.

 Jesus said:

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” Matthew 11:28-30

An amazing thing about Jesus is that He does not stand off in some far corner of the universe saying “Get your act together, and then come to me.” He puts His arms around us and says, “Let’s work on all this stuff in your life together.” He gave up Heaven to walk in the “dirt” with us. He then transforms that dirt into a deep, rich soil into which we can secure our spiritual roots and live, despite the scars of failures. That is called Grace!

The Bible lists many factors related to spiritual growth. 2 Peter 1:4-7 records, “…make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness, and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love.” And an example of predation, ”sinful desire”. 

How do these relate to spiritual growth? “…so that through them [these spiritual factors] you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world…”. You become more like Jesus! 

Also, the book of Galatians in chapter 5 compares a list of “predations” that will stymy spiritual growth (sexual immorality, impurity, indecent behavior, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these) and a list of factors that will reveal spiritual growth as well as maintain and grow it (the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control). That growth may not add “height” but it will certainly add strength, value, and appearance (in the sense that others will be attracted). And that attraction will not be to you. It will be to Jesus.

The article (An Old Tree…noted above) continues:

“But the new study shows that when it comes to growth in trees — well, the sky’s the limit. And this leaves Phillips wondering whether trees might, in fact, have the potential to live forever. He tries to imagine how long a tree would live if you could prevent it from being blown down or succumbing to drought or disease.”

Well, with Jesus, regardless of strong winds, drought, or disease, the sky is not the limit, Heaven and an eternity with God is!  

“For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.” John 3:16

May you, today, be blessed – be encouraged. Turn your face toward Jesus – believe, thrive, and grow!

You are loved!

Mike