https://odb.org/2026/10/09/slow-patient-growth-in-god
Luke 8:4–15 (NIV): 4 While a large crowd was gathering and people were coming to Jesus from town after town, he told this parable: 5 “A farmer went out to sow his seed. As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path; it was trampled on, and the birds ate it up. 6 Some fell on rocky ground, and when it came up, the plants withered because they had no moisture. 7 Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up with it and choked the plants. 8 Still other seed fell on good soil. It came up and yielded a crop, a hundred times more than was sown. When he said this, he called out, “Whoever has ears to hear, let them hear.”
9 His disciples asked him what this parable meant. 10 He said, “The knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of God has been given to you, but to others I speak in parables, so that, “ ‘ though seeing, they may not see; though hearing, they may not understand. ‘
11 “This is the meaning of the parable: The seed is the word of God. 12 Those along the path are the ones who hear, and then the devil comes and takes away the word from their hearts, so that they may not believe and be saved. 13 Those on the rocky ground are the ones who receive the word with joy when they hear it, but they have no root. They believe for a while, but in the time of testing they fall away. 14 The seed that fell among thorns stands for those who hear, but as they go on their way they are choked by life’s worries, riches and pleasures, and they do not mature. 15 But the seed on good soil stands for those with a noble and good heart, who hear the word, retain it, and by persevering produce a crop.
A saguaro cactus is never in a hurry to grow. Flourishing amid some of the most barren desert climates in the world, the plant slowly takes root over a lifetime of steady, plodding growth. Over its first decade, a Saguaro may grow as little as 1.5 inches. It may take thirty-five years to flower, and its arms can take fifty years to form. The cactus, however, can live up to two hundred years, reach forty-five feet high, and weigh up to two tons. Over a lifetime, it yields a remarkable forty million seeds. A Saguaro’s growth is slow, but resilient. Jesus used agricultural imagery to describe how His believers grow in the kingdom of God. Telling a parable of seeds sowed among various types of soil, He concluded with a description of how the final seeds “fell on good soil . . . and yielded a crop, a hundred times more than was sown” (Luke 8:8). Christ explained how those seeds “in the good soil” are ones who “[hear] the word, hold it fast in an honest and good heart, and bear fruit with patience” (v. 15 esv). (Winn Collier, Our Daily Bread 9th October 2026)
When it comes to spiritual growth, we sometimes fail to consider how growth happens in other areas of life. Becoming more and more like Jesus takes time. The parable of the sower in Luke 8 includes the element of time. The word persevering (v. 15) is a translation of the Greek word hypomonē, which means “a patient, steadfast waiting.” Here’s a helpful way to remember the importance of time in spiritual growth: Good seed in good soil produces good fruit in good time. We can ask God to help us trust Him as the Holy Spirit produces growth in us. (Arthur Jackson, Insight, Our Daily Bread 9th October 2026)
A few years back we hired a young in-house lawyer for a basic package of RM10,000 as he was earning around RM8,000 then. He was not that experienced but had a likeable and charming personality. A few months later before confirmation, he had an offer from an offshore entity for RM15,000. It was a remote position based in Malaysia. I had no idea of the scope but told him that he was perhaps a little young to be holding a RM15,000 position. The demands will likely overwhelm him. But the lure of the high pay was irresistable and so he left us; we were unable to match. I am not sure how long he continued at his role but having worked with him I know that his knowledge and experience were limited.
The point is that even in the world, it is better to earn a steady but growing income as we get better at our work. Perhaps we could job hop to get slightly better pay but it is risky to jump at something with very high pay that may not last or that do not commensurate with our ability. Better to have two pigeons in hand (steady pay and good environment) than letting go to catch another bigger pigeon (higher pay but uncertain environment).
In spiritual growth, slow and steady, in my view, wins the race. Really no point in being the traditional hare, reaching high points in our spiritual life to fade away and become nominal later in life. Worse, some even left the faith disillusioned and defeated. Or we serve God fervently and faithfully in our youth, only to do nothing much as we age.
A slow and steady growth is biblical. Jesus Himself taught it in the Parable of the Good Soil. The seed that fell on the good soil, by preserving produce a good crop. Perseverance means time is involved. It means that we need to prevail despite challenges and struggles. Isn’t that life? Will we let the demands of life overcome our faith that we give up trusting God? When someone describes a good pastor or shepherd, we usually don’t credit him for his 5,000 strong congregation or the million Ringgit plus tithes and offerings his church collects each month. We usually say he was a fervent and faithful servant of God. That defines a pastor and should likewise define us as believers. Be a fervent and faithful servant of God, taking up His calling for us and fulfilling His plans and purposes for our lives! Amen!
Grow steadily in the Lord. It is alright to be slow as long as we reach the finish line with our faith intact and our hearts burning strong for Christ. I believe if we had lived such a life, our transition into eternal life will be smooth and effortless.
