Call to Nurture
The Divine Call to Nurture: Training Hearts for Kingdom Living
In a world that celebrates independence and self-sufficiency, there's a counter-cultural truth that challenges our modern sensibilities: we are called to be nurtured by God and to nurture others. This isn't the soft, coddling kind of nurture we might initially imagine—it's something far more transformative and powerful.
Understanding Biblical Nurture
When we hear the word "nurture," many of us picture a mother gently cradling her newborn, providing comfort and warmth. While that image captures one aspect of nurture, the biblical concept goes much deeper. The Greek word paideia, translated as "nurture" in Scripture, encompasses training, instruction, discipline, and the development of moral and spiritual character.
This is the kind of nurture that shapes disciples, not just dependents. It's the process of developing and growing through training and nourishment—a deliberate, intentional investment in someone's spiritual formation.
This is the kind of nurture that shapes disciples, not just dependents. It's the process of developing and growing through training and nourishment—a deliberate, intentional investment in someone's spiritual formation.
The Evidence of Love
Hebrews 12 provides a profound framework for understanding God's nurturing process. The passage reminds us that "the Lord's training of your life is the evidence of His faithful love." This is a revolutionary perspective on correction and discipline. When God corrects us, He's not being harsh or punitive—He's demonstrating His deep, abiding love.
Think about it: parents who truly love their children don't allow them to wander into danger or develop destructive habits. They guide, correct, and train because they want the best for their children. Similarly, God corrects us throughout our lives for our own good, giving us an invitation to share in His holiness.
The alternative is sobering: "For if we have never once endured His correction, it only proves we are strangers and not sons." God's discipline validates our authentic relationship with Him.
Think about it: parents who truly love their children don't allow them to wander into danger or develop destructive habits. They guide, correct, and train because they want the best for their children. Similarly, God corrects us throughout our lives for our own good, giving us an invitation to share in His holiness.
The alternative is sobering: "For if we have never once endured His correction, it only proves we are strangers and not sons." God's discipline validates our authentic relationship with Him.
The Process of Transformation
Biblical nurture follows a progression that moves from gentle instruction to more direct intervention when necessary:
This isn't about punishment—it's about transformation of character. And here's the beautiful truth: "Later it will produce a transformation of character, bringing a harvest of righteousness and peace to those who yield to it."
- Nurture and Instruction - The foundational teaching that shows us God's ways
- Training - The repeated practice that builds spiritual muscle
- Developing Discipline - The formation of godly habits and character
- Rebuke - Correction through words when we begin to stray
- Chastening - More significant intervention when needed
This isn't about punishment—it's about transformation of character. And here's the beautiful truth: "Later it will produce a transformation of character, bringing a harvest of righteousness and peace to those who yield to it."
The Warning We Cannot Ignore
There's an urgency to this message. God has been speaking clearly: "My people are not living My way." This isn't a casual observation—it's a warning. Something is coming, and those who are not walking in God's ways will face unnecessary struggle and loss. But those who submit to His nurturing process, who allow Him to train and correct them, will navigate whatever comes with divine protection and provision.
The warning extends to three critical areas:
The warning extends to three critical areas:
- How we handle money - Are we dependent on God or on our own resources?
- Living in peace with God - Are we conformed to His image and aligned with His will?
- Nurturing others - Are we investing in the spiritual development of those around us?
The Call to Dependent Living
Perhaps one of the most challenging aspects of this message is the call away from independence toward dependence on God. American culture breeds self-reliance, but Scripture presents a different paradigm: "anything we do not dependent on Him, therefore, independence is sin."
This doesn't mean we become passive or irresponsible. Rather, it means we recognize that every breath, every ability, every resource comes from Him. We learn to say, "Here I am, Lord. Have some joy. Enjoy Yourself. Bring some corrections so You can bless me at the next level."
This doesn't mean we become passive or irresponsible. Rather, it means we recognize that every breath, every ability, every resource comes from Him. We learn to say, "Here I am, Lord. Have some joy. Enjoy Yourself. Bring some corrections so You can bless me at the next level."
Nurturing as Community Responsibility
This transformative process isn't meant to happen in isolation. We need people in our lives who have permission to speak truth to us, to bring correction, to help us stay on track. But this only works within the context of relationship and with explicit permission.
You can't just appoint yourself as the "word police" in someone's life. But when relationship exists and permission is granted—when someone asks you a question or invites your input—that's your opportunity to nurture them toward spiritual maturity.
The church community becomes a training ground where we practice this mutual nurturing. We celebrate when someone grows. We gently correct when someone strays. We encourage when someone struggles. We're not rule-keepers; we're character-builders, helping each other become more like Jesus.
You can't just appoint yourself as the "word police" in someone's life. But when relationship exists and permission is granted—when someone asks you a question or invites your input—that's your opportunity to nurture them toward spiritual maturity.
The church community becomes a training ground where we practice this mutual nurturing. We celebrate when someone grows. We gently correct when someone strays. We encourage when someone struggles. We're not rule-keepers; we're character-builders, helping each other become more like Jesus.
The Laodicean Warning
Revelation 3 issues a sobering warning to the lukewarm church: "I know all that you do. I know all that you are. I know that you are neither frozen in apathy nor fervent with passion."
It's easy to be a casual Christian—showing up occasionally, giving a little, believing the basics. But God calls us to something far more demanding and infinitely more rewarding. He says, "All those I dearly love, I unmask and train. So repent and be eager to pursue what is right."
The promise for those who respond is staggering: "To the one who conquers, I will give the privilege of sitting with Me on My throne." God wants to share everything He has and everything He is with us—but getting to that place requires submission to His nurturing process.
It's easy to be a casual Christian—showing up occasionally, giving a little, believing the basics. But God calls us to something far more demanding and infinitely more rewarding. He says, "All those I dearly love, I unmask and train. So repent and be eager to pursue what is right."
The promise for those who respond is staggering: "To the one who conquers, I will give the privilege of sitting with Me on My throne." God wants to share everything He has and everything He is with us—but getting to that place requires submission to His nurturing process.
Responding to the Call
The question before each of us is simple but profound: Will we submit to God's nurturing? Will we allow Him to instruct, train, discipline, and correct us? Will we position ourselves to receive from Him daily?
This requires:
The harvest is coming. God is preparing His people for something new, something different from what we're used to. But we're not ready yet—not because God hasn't provided what we need, but because we haven't fully embraced the nurturing process He's inviting us into.
This requires:
- Humility - Acknowledging we don't have it all figured out
- Courage - Being willing to face uncomfortable truths about ourselves
- Consistency - Making this a daily practice, not a one-time decision
- Community - Surrounding ourselves with people who can speak into our lives
The harvest is coming. God is preparing His people for something new, something different from what we're used to. But we're not ready yet—not because God hasn't provided what we need, but because we haven't fully embraced the nurturing process He's inviting us into.
The Path Forward
"Let us lay aside every weight and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith."
The path to spiritual maturity, to becoming the people God created us to be, goes straight through the middle of His nurturing process. Yes, there will be pain—growth always involves discomfort. But the gain far outweighs the pain.
So today, make the choice: "Here I am, Lord. Get me ready. Prepare me. Change me into another person. Make me Your voice, Your hands, Your feet, Your sent one."
The grace is already available. The invitation is already extended. All that remains is our response.
The path to spiritual maturity, to becoming the people God created us to be, goes straight through the middle of His nurturing process. Yes, there will be pain—growth always involves discomfort. But the gain far outweighs the pain.
So today, make the choice: "Here I am, Lord. Get me ready. Prepare me. Change me into another person. Make me Your voice, Your hands, Your feet, Your sent one."
The grace is already available. The invitation is already extended. All that remains is our response.
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Don't Grow WearyDon't Grow Weary: Finding Strength for the Good Work God Has Called You To Have you ever felt exhausted from doing the right thing? Maybe you've been serving faithfully, giving generously, or consistently showing up for others, yet you find yourself running on empty. The weariness sets in, and what once felt purposeful now feels like a burden. This struggle is as old as the early church. In Galatians 6:9, we find this powerful encouragement: "Let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart." Notice the scripture doesn't say "if" we grow weary—it assumes we will face this challenge. The real question isn't whether weariness will come, but why it happens and how we can overcome it. Understanding What "Good" Really Means Before we can avoid growing weary in doing good, we need to understand what "good" truly means. In our culture, "good" has become diluted. We use it to describe used items on marketplace listings or mediocre experiences. But biblical "good" means something entirely different. The 1828 Webster's Dictionary defines good as "valid, legally firm, not weak or defective, complete or sufficiently perfect in its kind." When God looked at the light He created in Genesis and declared it "good," He wasn't giving it a passing grade—He was declaring it complete and perfect. The "good work" we're called to isn't just any charitable activity. It's work with eternal purpose. First Corinthians 15:58 clarifies this: "Always excel in work you do for the Lord. You know that the hard work you do for the Lord is not pointless." There's a difference between a beach cleanup and taking a friend to lunch with the intention of having a Jesus conversation. Both can be good, but one has temporary benefits while the other can have eternal impact. The question we must ask ourselves is: What is the outcome and purpose of what we're doing? Is it bringing others to know Jesus or helping them become more like Him? Three Reasons We Grow Weary 1. We're Not Filled With the Right Things Imagine going to the movies and loading up on popcorn, candy, soda, and all the treats. It tastes amazing in the moment, but afterward, you feel terrible—bloated, greasy, and unable to eat a proper meal. You've filled yourself with junk that can't sustain you. The same happens spiritually. When we fill ourselves with watered-down teachings, social media snippets of faith, or inconsistent spiritual intake, we're consuming junk food for our souls. We might survive, but we won't thrive. First John 2:15-17 warns us: "Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but is of the world. And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever." What we consume determines how we respond. When someone complains about traffic, do we join in the negativity, or do we respond with gratitude for a paid-off car and enough gas to sit in that traffic? Colossians 2:9-10 reminds us that "in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily; and you are complete in Him." When we fill ourselves with Him, we become complete. We won't grow weary because we're sustained by what truly nourishes. The solution? Desire God over the things of this world. Build yourself up in your most holy faith, pray in the Holy Spirit, and keep yourself in the love of God (Jude 1:20). 2. We Don't Have a Big Enough Appetite We eat to have energy for activity. If we don't eat enough for the task ahead, our muscles get sore, we become weak, and we can't complete what we set out to do. The same is true spiritually. Hebrews 5:12-14 addresses this directly: "For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the first principles of the oracles of God; and you have come to need milk and not solid food... But solid food belongs to those who are of full age, that is, those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil." Milk keeps us alive, but solid food makes us grow. If we're satisfied with occasional church attendance—the spiritual equivalent of Easter and Christmas visits—we're living on samples, not sustenance. We need a consistent, deeper pursuit of God. Our appetite determines our capacity—our capacity for giving, for serving, for doing the good work God has called us to. If we don't grow our appetite, we won't have the strength for what He's calling us to do. Think about starting a workday without breakfast. At first, you're fine, but as the day wears on, every task becomes harder. Rolling up an extension cord feels like climbing a mountain. That's what happens when our spiritual intake isn't enough for our spiritual assignment. Matthew 5:6 promises: "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled." Consider the woman with the issue of blood. Her hunger and desire for healing drove her to push through the crowd, reach out, and touch Jesus. Her faith—fueled by her hunger—made her whole. How is our hunger for God? Are we pushing through obstacles to touch Him? 3. We Don't Exercise What We Have Eating provides energy for completing tasks, but if we never complete those tasks, the energy just sits and gets stored as useless fat. Similarly, when we continuously take in spiritual knowledge without exercising it, that knowledge becomes useless. Jesus told a parable about this in Luke 12:16-21. A rich man kept building bigger barns to store his abundance, planning to take life easy. But God called him a fool, saying, "I will demand your life from you tonight Then who will get what you have accumulated?" The passage concludes: "That's how it is when a person has material riches but is not rich in his relationship with God." Are we hoarding the revelations we receive in our daily Bible reading? Are we keeping the testimonies of what God has done in our lives to ourselves? This hoarding reveals either a lack of trust in God or a shallow personal relationship with Him. First Peter 4:10 instructs: "As each one has received a gift, minister it to one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God." Exercising what we have means being disciple-makers, helping others become more like Jesus. In 2 Timothy 2:2, Paul tells Timothy: "The things that you have heard from me among many witnesses, commit these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also." That's the multiplication effect God desires—we receive from Him, share with others, who then share with others, spreading like wildfire. The Promise of Harvest The principle of sowing and reaping runs throughout Scripture. When we sow into our relationship with God, we reap knowledge, revelation, and testimonies. When we sow those things into others, we reap increase to replace what was sown. Second Corinthians 9:6 tells us: "He who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully." God doesn't leave us empty. When we sow into good ground, He replaces what we've sown. Luke 6:38 promises: "Give, and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your bosom." When we sow our knowledge, revelations, and testimonies into others, we don't just reap personal increase—we reap a harvest of transformed lives. We're in a season of harvest, and it takes us doing good without growing weary to see that harvest come. Let Your Light Shine Jesus declared in Matthew 5:13-16 that we are the salt of the earth and the light of the world. We're not meant to lose our flavor or hide our light under a basket. Instead, we're to let our light shine before others so they may see our good works and glorify our Father in heaven. That's the ultimate goal—that our family, friends, and community would come to glorify God because of what they see in us. Your Challenge This Week This week, evaluate what you're doing. What are the outcomes? Are you pursuing things that bring temporary satisfaction or eternal purpose? Are they helping others become more like Jesus? Begin to take in more of what is good. Desire Him more. Let the first thing you do when you wake up be reaching for Him with hunger and desire. Then exercise what you gain by sharing it with others. Don't grow weary in doing good. In His season, in His timing, you will reap if you do not lose heart. The harvest is coming, and you're called to be part of it.
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Call to Nurture
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