Mark 4:26-29 (NASB)
26 And He was saying, “The kingdom of God is like a man who casts seed upon the soil;
27 and he goes to bed at night and gets up by day, and the seed sprouts and grows—how, he himself does not know.
28 “The soil produces crops by itself; first the blade, then the head, then the mature grain in the head.
29 “But when the crop permits, he immediately puts in the sickle, because the harvest has come.”

This parable of Jesus is only recorded in the gospel of Mark. It is a parable about the Kingdom of God which reveals that our spiritual growth is a continual, gradual process. Our gradual growth in Christ is done by the Holy Spirit as He leads us. No one can be our Holy Spirit for us. And we can’t be anyone’s Holy Spirit either. That is particularly true in our marriage relationships.

If we desire to try to change our wife or our husband, it can only lead to disappointment. This is also true when we are single and contemplating marriage. If we are in a relationship where the other person wants us to conform to the image of who they think we should be, then they are trying to be our Holy Spirit. Trying to satisfy a partner in marriage in this way leads us down a path that God has not chosen for us and is destructive to both partners.

Prayer is the answer. I am so fortunate to be married to a patient woman, one that prays hard for me. She depends on the Holy Spirit to grow me as He wants.

Always praying for the glory of God,