Gardners in Peru

Philipians 1:6 “Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ.”
Hands down, the most exciting thing that I have been able to witness and be a part of here in Peru is the transformation of lives! I’ve never seen anything like it and it thrills me!
I was talking to “Chorri” (Alex) today after he had visited one of his lost friends. He explained to me that his friends had asked him about all of this Christian “stuff” that he was doing now and he was able to share a little bit of his testimony with his friends. In the beginning he had mentioned to me several times that he didn’t know what to answer people when they kept bombarding him with so many questions about God, christianity and church. But now, he is able to share, in a very limited way, his testimony!
Later in the evening, he came over to my house and we started going through discipleship. The lesson said to look up a verse in 2 Timothy. All of the sudden I hear Chorri saying it out loud “Galatians, Ephesians, Philipians, Colossians, Thesalonians aaaand Timothy.” He had already memorized a great portion of the books of the Bible without me even telling him to or teaching him!
I have only taught him to “love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might” and the Holy Spirit has taken care of the rest.
The wonderful thing about a person being saved, is that I don’t have to play the Holy Spirit in his life! I don’t have to tell him what to do or what not to do! I don’t have to make him adjust to my definition of a good Christian! The Holy Spirit works the work!!!! How great is that? All I have to do is teach the word of God, teach him to love God and mentor him in the things of God. I am completely amazed at the power of the Holy Spirit and God’s word. I am more convinced now than ever that His word is alive. It IS sharper than any two edged sword.
All of that to say this:
Discipler, don’t force your disciple into growing. We would all find it odd to see a three year old toddler walking around in an adult sized suit. Let God perform the good work he begun. Guide them in love, bring them along in the love of their Savior.
Christian, let God perform the good work he begun. Stop trying to change yourself. Stop trying to make yourself better. Let Him make you better, let Him change you, let His word penetrate the deepest part of your soul and find everything in you that needs to change, and let Him remove the things that you don’t need, the sins that you hold onto and let it all be replaced with the wonderful, abounding, never ending love of your heavenly Father and THOU SHALT GROW!