Anyone know what this is a picture of?
The Model T ford was the first mass produced car. In 1909 Henry Ford made this comment about his car, “Any customer can have a car painted any colour that he wants so long as it is black.”
This is a fridge – It is also mass produced.
This a baseball cap. 
It is one of those clever pieces of clothing where one size fits all. It is not quite so mass produced, but …..
This is a picture of Jesus. Christians claim we all have to be like Jesus. Mmm, going to happen is it? Jesus was a 1st Century male Jew and most of us are not going to be like him at all.
And this?
This is a Monet, it is a masterpiece.
Here is part of a story you might have heard about before. It is the story of David and Goliath, but we are just before the big fight and David is getting ready.
“Master,” said David, “don’t give up hope. I’m ready to go and fight this Philistine.”
Saul answered David, “You can’t go and fight this Philistine. You’re too young and inexperienced—and he’s been at this fighting business since before you were born.”
David said, “I’ve been a shepherd, tending sheep for my father. Whenever a lion or bear came and took a lamb from the flock,
I’d go after it, knock it down, and rescue the lamb. If it turned on me, I’d grab it by the throat, wring its neck, and kill it. Lion or bear, it made no difference—I killed it. And I’ll do the same to this Philistine pig who is taunting the troops of God-Alive. God, who delivered me from the teeth of the lion and the claws of the bear, will deliver me from this Philistine.”
Saul said, “Go. And God help you!”
Then Saul outfitted David as a soldier in armor. He put his bronze helmet on his head and belted his sword on him over the armor. David tried to walk but he could hardly budge.
David told Saul, “I can’t even move with all this stuff on me. I’m not used to this.” And he took it all off.
Then David took his shepherd’s staff, selected five smooth stones from the brook,
and put them in the pocket of his shepherd’s pack, and with his sling in his hand approached Goliath.1 Samuel 17:32-40 (The Message Bible)
Saul is King, David is a shepherd boy. Saul has all if the kit for battle, David has none of it. Saul has all of the experience; David has never seen a Philistine let alone fight one. The King wants David to have what he has, he wants him to be protected going into battle, after all he is only a Shpherd boy.
And here was have this almost comical scene just before the battle. Saul figured that whatever would be helpful to him would be also helpful for David. And so we have David struggling around in this amour that does not fit.
In what way David was not strong enough. He could not wear the armour, but in another way he was strong enough to tell the King that this was not going to work – “I cannot wear this.” So David sets Saul’s equipment aside and uses something that would help him….
Saul has already wished David the best that he can give him
“Go,.. and the Lord be with you.”
We need to be in flow Of God, but what that looks like for each of us will be different.
We are not in the business of mass production. You are not God’s appliance, you are his masterpiece. You are not a fridge, you are a Monet. You are not mass produced, you are a one off. God broke the mould when he made you.
His plan for you is to flourish. But the plan for you to flourish is not the same as anyone else’s. Stop walking around in Saul’s armour. You do have to wear armour but it is far better it is armour that fits you.
How do you grow?
This a mouse and here is an elephant.
Now if you want these 2 animals to grow you do not give them the same food. What feeds a mouse would starve an elephant.
What do you need to grow?
Light, food, air and water – but we don’t all need them in the same amounts and same conditions. Think mice and elephants.
How do you grow?
I think to answer that question we need to ask ourselves some other questions.
What brings you life?
What is your temperament?
What is your learning style?
What is the season of your life?
What is your biggest temptation?
What brings you life?
Too many people think that the things that help us to grow have to be I ought too, and some of them make you feel guilty before even thinking about them.
What do you do that makes you feel alive?
A walk by the beach on windy winter day. Coffee and a chat with a friend.
Sustainable spiritual growth happens when you actually do what you want to do not what you ought to do.
What is your temperament?
Are you an introvert or an extrovert. Are you intuitive? Do you enjoy spontaneity?
All of these will make a difference to how you flourish.
Some will love the thought of silence and solitude other will be turned off by it.
If you are spontaneous you will probably struggle with a regular time to be quiet with God and pray, or read the bible. But you will need to be spontaneous in how you maintain your relationship with God.
What is your learning style?
Do you learn by doing with your hands? These people probably never read the instructions.
Do you need to watch someone and then copy them?
Do you learn by sitting and reading a book?
They are all different, none of them is wrong. Different styles will help you to learn.
What is the season of your life?
When a plant is young it often needs some support in place to help it grow true and well. Structure is important for the young in faith. When we are older those support structures might not be as important but when a crisis happens we need to have them in place.
What is your biggest temptation?
There are some things which are not good for us. They will harm us they will stunt growth, they will cause us to die and not to flourish. It will be different for each one of us, but I can guarantee you will have a temptation that is hard for you. Knowing that temptation or sin pattern can remove the barriers for the spirit to flow and for you to flourish.
Your path to growth will not like anyone else’s. It will be unique.
I am an expert only in me and not in anyone else.
“Go,.. and the Lord be with you.”