The word “cultivate” has many definitions – but each listed below (thanks to dictionary.com), I believe has an important bearing on what I desire this blog to be about.
1. To till and prepare land for the growth of crops
2. To plant, tend, harvest, or improve (plants) by labour and skill
3. To break up land or soil with a cultivator or hoe
4. To improve or foster (the mind, body, etc) as by study, education, or labour
5. To give special attention to
6. To give or bring culture to; civilize

Before I ever became a Biology teacher, I absolutely loved watching things grow. Keeping a garden with my father was always a part of the summer that I looked forward to. Well, rather…planting was something to which I looked forward. The weeding in the hot sun was something that I could have passed on. But the joy of watching seemingly dead seeds spring into life is a miracle.

I believe that physical life is a miracle. Even more than that, life in Jesus Christ is a miracle. We are born again (John 3) into a new life – into the family of God. And, we are told that we are complete in Christ. Countless hymns record the mysteries of such a state:

Complete in Thee! No work of mine
May take, dear Lord, the place of Thine;
Thy blood hath pardon bought for me,
And I am now complete in Thee. ~ Aaron Wolfe, 1851

And when before the throne
I stand in Him complete,
I’ll lay my trophies down
All down at Jesus’ feet. ~ Elvina Hall, 1865

We are complete right now! Yet we also will be fully complete in heaven. How is that possible?

“Because by one sacrifice He has made perfect forever those who are being made holy.” Hebrews 10:14

We are complete – we are perfect in Christ. His sacrifice is enough to cleanse us from our sins and wrongdoing. But He is continually making us holy. He is continually stripping off our sins and our failures, chiseling away our imperfections, setting us apart and making us different than this world and more like the Lord Jesus. Will we ever complete that process before we get to heaven? Heavens, no! But I believe that it is so important to strive to be holy – to cultivate completeness of not just positional perfection in Christ, but also practical perfection.

Hmmm….that was a bit wordy and maybe hard to grasp. The basic description is that I am perfect in the sight of God – completely cleansed from my sins by the blood of Jesus Christ. That’s my position in Jesus. But, practically speaking – down here, I am so very far from perfect. I make mistakes all the time. However, I desire to be more like Jesus every day – and want to cultivate the completeness of being more like Jesus.

So, this blog is a record for me of how the Lord is cultivating completeness in my own heart. He will have to at times:
1. Break up the “soil” of my heart with heartache and trials to prepare for more growth
2. Prune, harvest and tend the places where I am growing – to make fruit more bountiful
3. Help me improve my mind with learning – study, education, labour – for in this, too, is cultivation
4. Mold me to help me understand the culture of His kingdom

I’m so excited to be able to look back and see what the Lord will do. He is faithful, even when I’m not – loving, even when I feel empty. But I have learned that when I remember His faithfulness and the completeness of His work and love, I can’t help but live for Him.

What inspired this whole thought process was a verse from the hymn, “Morning Has Broken”.

“Sweet the rain’s new fall, sunlit from heaven
Like the first dewfall on the first grass
Praise for the sweetness of the wet garden
Sprung in completeness where His feet pass”

Where He is – there is completeness. We might get smooshed sometimes in the process – but it’s all for the purpose of making us more like Him.

And when life throws us curveballs or rainstorms or challenges – let’s not stay down! Let’s spring up – for there will be completeness where His feet pass.

“But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and forever! Amen.” II Peter 3:18