Third in a three-part series about building an authentic relationship with Christ.
"Paper or plastic?" You hear that question from the cashier when she asks you to choose bags for your groceries.
The same question can also refer to your relationship with Jesus Christ ... is it paper or plastic? A paper relationship with Christ can be shallow and superficial. A plastic relationship can be simulated or artificial.
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Image: I'm Organic
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Increasingly there is a third alternative to single-use bags - an option that applies to your relationship with Christ, too: reusable bags. They are durable and made to last over time. Of the many reusable bags, the best and longest-lasting are those made from organic materials, derived from living matter such as hemp, cotton, or jute.
Organic Materials: Made from Living Matter and Synthetic-Free
Organic materials are processed in ways that maximize health. Fertilizers (substances that feed crops) or pesticides (substances that defend crops from insects, pathogens, weeds, or critters) are made with natural products, without synthetics.
Organic fertilizers are naturally occurring substances (manure, peat moss, seaweed, and compost, for instance) that take time to biodegrade, slowly leaching nutrients into the soil to improve its overall vitality with time. Likewise, organic pesticides are derived from natural sources, like herbs or plants or by using insects as natural predators.
Synthetic fertilizers, on the other hand, are man-made combinations of chemicals and inorganic substances. They are convenient to use and act right away, giving you immediate results. Synthetic pesticides, too, help produce higher crop yields fast. But long-term they kill microorganisms that convert organic matter in the soil, increase ground water toxicity, and damage the soil's natural makeup, generating nutrient deficiencies.
Are Synthetics Seeping In?
An organic relationship with Christ is growing and alive -- obviously the better, more healthful option than paper or plastic. Yet you may not be aware that just a bit of inorganic matter can contaminate your closeness with Him. Synthetics may be seeping in if you glaze over scripture quickly ... avoid grappling with biblical truth and look for easy answers instead ... push back from conviction ... falter in standing firm ... experience emptiness ...
Just as organic fertilizer feeds the soil to maximize health, so does God's Word feed your relationship with Christ. Jesus said, "Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God" (Matthew 4:4, ESV). Faith provides the defense needed to keep that relationship healthy: "Take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one" (Ephesians 6:16, NIV).
Grow a Deep, Healthy Relationship Over Time
One of the biggest dangers that Christ-followers face is a desire for quick results. The temptation lies in immediacy: we want to become more Christ-like, but we want it now rather than doing the hard work to let Him transform us. That threat is much like synthetic fertilizer (which works fast to give short-term but impressive results) and synthetic pesticides (which kill predators and fungi right away but deplete the soil). Immediate results are not lasting. Long-term growth is jeopardized and over time, the environment becomes vulnerable to toxic influences.
Meanwhile organic fertilizers and pesticides - like a growing, alive relationship with Christ - require time in order to work. They leach in gradually to feed, protect, and produce healthy, natural results. A crop must be nurtured and guarded for three years, without any synthetics, before it is certified organic.
Likewise, an organic relationship with Christ is built over time. You carefully nurture the soil of your heart by feeding it with healthy, "living and active" food (Hebrews 4:12, ESV). You work to build strong defenses of faith to ward off attack from within and without.
It is the kind of relationship that takes time to build, but it also withstands the test of time.
Paper or plastic - which should you choose in your relationship with Christ? Neither. Go organic - living, alive, and durable.
Growth Point
Build a relationship with Jesus that is durable.
Scripture
The Word of God is living and active. (Hebrews 4:12, ESV) Prayer Points - What are indicators that your relationship with Christ may be synthetic?
- Describe a person you know who has a deep relationship with Jesus Christ and how you have seen him reflect durability.
- Ask God to show you what areas of your life He desires to build but that may take some time.
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"Paper or plastic?" You hear that question from the supermarket cashier, but it also applies to your relationship with Christ.
Session 6: FINISHING WELL
As you read this, we are returning from a trip to Guatemala (July 24 - August 1) where we served with our grandson and son in an organic gardening outreach in Los Romeros community on Vulc�n Tajumulco -- and later, led the 
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