Grown to Serve

So I’m sitting in Starbuck’s, awaiting the arrival of some friends, when I notice a giant chalk drawing on the wall beside me. This drawing depicts the very intricate process of a coffee bean’s lifespan–from bean to cup. Now, because I’ve been doing a pretty intense study on the subject of growth, this flowchart has me completely intrigued.

As we look at the process of our own growth, most of us like to narrow it down to three simple steps: planting, growing, and harvesting. It sounds so easy that way. But that rudimentary list really fails to properly prepare us for the long, varied stages of transformation that we will all go through, at some point, as God transitions us from glory to glory.

Studying the life of the coffee bean, we rediscover the less glamorous, often overlooked stages of spiritual maturation. Keep in mind, the steps outlined below may not always come in the exact order they’re shown here. But I guarantee, if we are Christians who are moving forward and continuing to achieve all God has called us to do in this life, we are definitely going to experience every one of these levels at one time or another. Let’s take a look:

1. Nursery – The nursery stage is the very beginning of a thing…the “honeymoon stage,” if you will. It could be those magical moments of first coming to Christ and getting to know Him as our Savior. Or it could also be the beginning steps of a seasoned Christian’s new journey. Depending upon the circumstances that perpetuate this season of growth, it can be fun and exciting or grueling and painful. But we’re in the infancy stage here, so we’re typically going to feel pretty strong and full of faith.
2. Growing – As our roots go deeper and we begin to grow, we discover new truths about our situation. Our levels of understanding are expanding, and we begin to see ourselves making progress through the situation at hand. Our confidence increases as we deepen our relationship with Jesus and soak in as much knowledge as possible.
3. Pruning – This is our first experience with the thought “this isn’t as much fun anymore.” We put away the childish things of our youth and learn to replace old habits by developing new ones. We begin to heed the call to holiness and obedience and other words that describe a real commitment to the process. As God trims away the old, dead, life-sucking branches that we’ve been hanging onto, we become aware that we will never again be allowed to remain where we were and still feel satisfied.
4. Flowering – Flowering comes after pruning because–now that we’re free of all that old junk–we begin to feel beautiful again! Like the beast who is transformed into a prince by True Love’s first kiss, we discover that we are royalty–covered in righteousness–because of the shed blood of our King. After all that pruning, the levity of this stage is certainly a welcome feeling! However, all our blooms must eventually die to give way to fruit. Trying to hold onto the blooms for our own sake would produce the fruit-killing disease of pride. Therefore, we must continually “die to self” so we may nourish the fruit that is to come.
5. Bearing Fruit – When we commence bearing fruit, we start to develop Christlike character. This is when we begin to function at a new level of patience. Our words become more gentle and we are more self-controlled. Our faithfulness reflects the love, joy, kindness, and peace of the Lord. In Matthew 7, Jesus said, “You will know them by their fruits.” If we’re following Jesus, people who interact with us will get an immediate sense that we’re different, somehow, from the world’s standard. Likewise, if we’re not following Jesus, our “bad fruit” will immediately be recognized as something rotten and false.
   
6. Harvest – I feel, at this stage, we often begin to reap the benefits of all we’ve invested. Harvested crops could manifest as replication…Having grown in character and integrity, people may begin to follow our lead as we bring them into the Kingdom by example. Another type of harvest may be in the form of something we’ve worked really hard for finally coming to fruition…perhaps it’s a new stream of finances, a growing ministry, or a new level of influence with a particular group of people. Whatever it is, it feels like a light at the end of a very long tunnel exploding into a bright, new tomorrow. 

Most of us would love to stop here. I mean, haven’t we been through enough already?! But there are a few more steps along the way that cannot be overlooked. These are difficult, but necessary steps of refinement that no one really likes to talk about.

7. Processing – The processing stage is just what it sounds like. It’s a process. It usually comes in the form of hard work, a painful letting go, or a series of mundane repetitions. Often consisting of a meticulous sequence of harrowing steps we have to take to get from one place to another…No one really likes “the process.” But it’s “the process” that allows our transitions to be smooth. Without it, we may find ourselves taking too big of a leap–from one plateau to another–misjudging the distance, and resulting in a nasty fall.
8. Drying – Ugh. Drying. This is when all the wind seems to have left our sails, and we feel like our prayers are just bouncing off the ceiling. It’s like a spiritual wasteland that no one takes us to but ourselves. Jesus reminds us, if we drink from His cup, it will never run dry and we will never thirst again. Dryness only happens when we quit coming to the well. So it makes sense that our spirits are parched because WE drifted too far from the Source. As awful as this stage is, thank God the solution is simple! Dryness is always overcome by saturation, and the Word of God is living water. So to rehydrate, we simply need to saturate ourselves in worship and the Word! Seems simple enough…right?!  
9. Resting – Resting is not a bad thing. Even God rested. He also made the practice of resting sacred when He called us to Sabbath rest through His commandments. To be quite honest, if we don’t follow God’s precept to rest properly, He’s not beyond putting us in “time-out” to ensure we get the rest He is calling us to. He doesn’t do it because He’s mad at us. He does it because He loves us. “In vain you rise early and stay up late, toiling for food to eat— for he grants sleep to those he loves.” – Psalm 127:2 If we find ourselves in a season of rest, we shouldn’t look at it like we’re being benched and forced to watch the big game from the sidelines. When coffee rests, it’s taste and performance shifts. Likewise, as we rest, performance levels are enhanced and our tastes have time to catch up with all the flavors of the new season we’re about to enter. It’s not a punishment. It’s a gift of rejuvenation. 
10. Transportation – In some seasons, God will call us out of our homeland and guide us to “a place He will show us.” We may not always know where we’re going, but we can certainly trust our guide. The journey may be long and we may be forced to eat manna every day, but if we remain obedient and pliable to God’s perfect Will, we can be sure we’ll end up in the Promised Land! God may transport us out of a relationship with someone we’ve known for years. He may call us to leave our homeland for a mission field or move out of a church or a ministry that we’ve been part of for a long time. It’s not that any of these things have to be “bad.” It’s just that the season for us to be involved with them is over. I’m pretty sure, if Lot’s wife could tell you anything right now, she would probably say, “When God moves you, just go and head and follow Him…and don’t look back!”
11. Roasting – This is the most painful season of all. Roasting season indicates that the heat is turned up in our lives and/or situations, and we’re probably sweating bullets as we scramble to hold onto our faith. But the best thing about the roasting season, however, is that fire refines us. All the impurities that are left in us are forced to the top, and from there, God has easy access to remove the dross from our lives and forge us into pure, strong weapons. Under intense heat, we are malleable, which makes it so much easier for the Maker to bend us to His Will. But when He’s finished, and He dips us in that cool water of His spirit, the steel inside us hardens and we become battle-ready. Roasting sucks. But the end product is something none of us really want to miss out on…after it’s over.
12. Serving – The final process is serving. Coffee that has reached the point of being served is now in a state that causes others to crave it. It has a rich aroma, sweet and pleasing to both God and man. It doesn’t matter if we’re a bold espresso, a sweet mocha, or a slow-roasted nut blend…we can be sure that we are uniquely crafted to do something in the Kingdom that only we and our particular brands can accomplish. Through allowing God to serve us to others, our perfect mix can help resuscitate those who are tired and weary. We warm others on the inside and open their eyes to the dawning of a new day. As bondservants to a glorious God who was poured out for all mankind, we too are brewed to perfection so that we may serve the free gift of love and the hope of salvation to a lost and dying world. 

And that’s my coffee analogy for the day! 🙂 It’s so funny how God showed me all that from a little chalk drawing on a coffee shop wall! So what about you?…Do you recognize yourself in any of these stages? What do you think God is calling you to do in order to move from where you are now to the next level He has for you? This Jesus life isn’t for punks. It costs us everything. But the return on our investment is just so sweet!

Thank you, God, for never leaving us to complacently remain where we are. I’m so grateful that You have a bigger vision for our lives than we do. I look forward to all of us fulfilling Your calling upon our lives as we walk through these stages of growth, over and over again, until we finally make our way to your feet. May we all have earned beautiful crowns of glory, heavy-laden with a variety of the most precious gems, to offer back to You when we get there!