If we would be asked, "What color is a plant?", the most common answer would be green. While it is true that the overwhelming plant color is green, all colors of the rainbow can be found on some plant part somewhere. Flower petals, leaves and even stems can exhibit ROYGBIV. In autumn, a favorite display in the eastern US is the changing of tree foliage from green to yellows, oranges, and reds.
This transformation comes about through a process controlled by several factors, especially shortening daylengths and colder nighttime temperatures. Plants transition from food generation (storage of energy produced from light) for growth to food storage in the roots. Sugars (the plant's energy molecules) move downward and the chlorophyll (the molecules which cause the greenness in leaves) gradually degenerates. As the green fades away, other chemicals which were masked by the green become apparent. These chemicals were always present, but now can be seen in the absence of the chlorophyll.
In a similar way, we are often busy with life. There seem to be so many things which need to be done. We need to work or build or fix or maintain. Attention is demanded by job, house, home & family, and even recreation & friends. While these may all be good pursuits, they should be filtered through the guidance of God. If he determines the direction, development, and goals of our pursuits, we can be assured the end results will be pleasing to him and good for us.
For this reason, it is beneficial to examine ourselves, our habits, and our lives to ensure we are living life as God intends. Sometimes we may need to choose between two things, and what seems like sacrificing "the good life" is really just giving up the green so that the beauty may show through. How we spend our "sugars" (our time, energy, money, attention) may be toward our own increase (bigger houses, investments for retirement, careers, upgraded entertainment, cars, boats, tech, vacations, fill-in-the-blanks) and may seem like increase. But, in the end, the pursuit of God's interests will display colors in our lives which will be beautiful to him & those around us while storing away a treasure for us that will be realized & enjoyed forever in heaven (sugars stored away in the roots)!
Store away treasures in heaven
Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. (Philippians 2:4)
Want to discover more about what Paul tells the Philippians?
Click here to read the whole chapter!
Tom was born and raised in Ephrata. He received Jesus as his Savior at the age of 10. Tom and his wife, Diane, have been part of Grace Church for over ten years.
Some of his lifetime highlights especially include his education and career in horticulture for many years and over four decades of marriage to his beautiful bride.