Recently I visited a park where giant redwood trees towered hundreds of feet into the air. These trees are not only very tall, but they also have big circumferences. Some are so large that tunnels have been carved through them to allow the passage of autos. There are stumps left from logging operations which expose the cross sections of the huge trunks that are many feet in diameter. As one examines these stumps, one immediately notices that the wood is not of a constant consistency, but that there are rings of different color. These are called 'growth rings.' It is thought that each ring represents one year of growth, so if one counts the rings from the outer edge in toward the center, one is able to determine the approximate age of the tree. Many of these large trees are hundreds of years old. Through core samples, the bristlecone pines have been measured at 4,000 to 5,000 years old, which date them back to the dawn of the post-diluvian world.
These growth rings are caused by the variations in the growth rate of the tree due to various environmental factors such as rainfall, temperature, sunlight, etc. The tree grows outward by the expansion of the cambrium layer, which is just inside the bark. During the summer when there is plenty of warm sunlight, the tree grows rapidly, producing wide, light colored bands. During the winter cold, the growth is slower producing narrow, dark bands. Thus, it is possible to detect the different colors and density of the rings on an annual basis and determine the tree's age.
Spiritual growth is somewhat like that. We begin our spiritual journey as babes in the truth being fed the sincere milk of the gospel. Then we begin to grow in 'grace and knowledge' (1 Peter 3:18), and are weaned to eat stronger food. This growth is not constant but occurs in irregular spurts as our faith is periodically strengthened by our experiences in God's grace, providence, and guidance. Answers to prayer and the love and friendship of fellow believers in time of need overcome our feelings of discouragement and doubt. We are constantly being nourished by God's blessings and the warmth of His love. As we study God's word and meditate on its precepts, our knowledge is increased. Thus, through study and inspiration we grow into the 'perfecting of the saints' (Eph. 4:12).
Our characters are built, step by step, unto perfection through grace, knowledge, inspiration, and experience. If we were to plot a graph of this progress, it would not be a smooth curve, but rather more like a staircase. Sometimes our faith falters; sometimes it flourishes. Sometimes our spiritual growth is rapid; sometimes it is retarded. If we were to take an imaginary cross sectional cut through our character's trunk, we would no doubt observe "spiritual growth rings."
