God Gives the Increase

God Gives the Increase

It is not a new insight, just a new appreciation for a biblical truth. The apostle Paul said it plainly when writing to the Corinthians. He declared that one plants, another waters but it is God who gives the increase (1 Corin. 3:6).

What caused this new appreciation was the baptism of my oldest grandchild, Drayton Cullen. Drayton is 7 years old, the same age as his mother — my daughter, Jean — when she accepted Christ as her Savior and Lord and was baptized.

Some believe this is an early age to make a profession of faith. It is. But studies show that children raised in Christian homes often accept Christ when they are 7, 8 or 9 years of age. One study of international missionaries found the average age of conversion for these men and women is 8.

Drayton did not make his decision in a revival service. He made it at home. His decision was the culmination of a lot of people who “watered” his spiritual development.

As I sat in the church watching that precious scene unfold, I recalled the nursery worker who cared for Drayton each time the church opened. He looked forward to going to church so he could see this special friend.

Each time, she reminded Drayton that “God loves you.” She did it with words and the loving way she treated him.

I remembered the lady who started a Sunday School class for Drayton and the two other children his age when they outgrew the nursery. She was the church secretary so he saw her often because Drayton’s father was the pastor.

Being past retirement age did not keep her from doing activity learning with the children. Nor did it keep her from helping the children learn Bible truths every Sunday School session.

As Drayton stood in the baptismal waters facing the congregation, I could not help but remember Sundays where he and other preschool children stood on the platform in the sanctuary and sang songs for the congregation. Those words sung were becoming truths Drayton now understood.

Each truth helped him understand more about God.

There were others, Vacation Bible School (VBS) workers and countless more, who helped pave the way for the expression of faith being acted out before us.

Drayton’s father, Lon Cullen, acknowledged as much when he thanked all the Sunday School teachers, VBS workers and others who helped Drayton form his understanding of God that led to the decision to accept Christ as his personal Savior.

But the words were not heard by the nursery worker or the Sunday School teacher or any of the others who “watered” Drayton spiritually for the first six years of his life.

Lon no longer serves that church as pastor. He is now a hospice chaplain. The church where Drayton was baptized — Riverchase Baptist Church, Birmingham, in Shelby Baptist Association — authorized his father to baptize him.

But that does not mean that the saints of First Baptist Church, Vincent, in Shelby Association “watered” in vain. When they hear that Drayton accepted Christ and was baptized, they will be just as happy for him as if he were still in the church. And they will know that they played a part in his coming to faith.

The people who played the largest part in Drayton’s decision were his parents, of course.

I remember when Drayton had critical medical conditions at birth. They offered their son to God as they had done each day since before he was conceived. I remember their prayers for him, telling him Bible stories, nurturing and cultivating the love of God in his heart.

One of the advantages of being raised in a Christian home is seeing the love of God lived out on a daily basis.

When God is important to mom and dad, God will be important to the children. That is one reason children from Christian homes make decisions at earlier ages than children coming from non-Christian homes.

Drayton and his family are now in a new church where he will be loved and discipled. Accepting Christ was only the first step for my grandson. Now he has a life to live for God. He will need lots of “watering” along the way as he grows “in wisdom and stature and in favor with God and man.”

As a grandparent, I am thankful for all the people who have been and who will be a part of the spiritual “watering” for Drayton. One of my prayers is that the Lord will allow me to be a part of that process, too.

As a Christian, I am thankful for the faithfulness of godly men and women across the globe who, through the years, have been willing to “water” seeds of faith and leave it to God to give the increase. Many never see or even know all the results that come from their faithfulness. But it is out of such faithfulness that the Christian gospel spreads.

As you serve the Lord this week, remember you are not doing a task for the church. You are “watering” seeds of faith, and God will use your efforts to give the increase.