The older we get, the more challenging it is to grow.
In our youth, growth is inevitable. Physically, most girls grow until the age of fourteen and boys until age sixteen¹. Our brains typically continue developing until our mid-to-late twenties².
After the age of thirty, growth becomes harder. We tend to settle into our habits and lean heavily on what we’ve already experienced³. But following Jesus means committing ourselves to continued growth. When growth seems to get harder, how can we continue to develop our stewardship?
The largest book in the Bible is the Psalms, containing 150 songs of various lengths that reveal the nature of God and how we should interact with Him. Although Psalm 1 doesn’t seem to be focused on growth, it essentially prods the reader toward improvement. The very first verse instructs us, “Blessed is the one who does not walk in step with the wicked or stand in the way that sinners take or sit in the company of mockers” (Psalm 1:1 NIV).
While the verse speaks of blessings, it more pointedly encourages avoidance. How are blessings acquired? By not walking, standing, or sitting with those in opposition to the Lord. These verbs are elementary to human life. In fact, the pathway for a baby to grow is to do those things—learn to sit, stand, and then walk.
Yet those who choose to dwell in the company of the wicked, sinners, and mockers, are essentially regressing in their development. The more we start to entertain evil, the higher the likelihood we will succumb to it. This is why, in the next two verses of the psalm, we see the clear route toward blessing:
“[Blessed is the one] whose delight is in the law of the Lord, and who meditates on his law day and night. That person is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither—whatever they do prospers” (Psalm 1:2–3 NIV).
These verses encourage us to form a regular habit of reading or meditating on Scripture. To help us understand this idea, the psalmist encourages us to be like a tree planted by a stream.
A tree by a stream has an unending source of water for sustenance. In this psalm, the tree stays prosperous regardless of the season. Similarly, we can dedicate ourselves to being fed by the Scriptures and being rooted in Jesus, the true Vine, so we can continue to grow. When we meditate on the Word of the Lord, we develop a Scriptural mindset that will influence all our actions.
We can continue to grow in the Lord and in stewardship, regardless of our age. If we aim to become like the tree that bears eternal fruit, our generosity will be never-ending.
