The Principle of Accumulation

Shoveling snow in subzero temperatures in recent days reminded me of the winter Diane and I spent in Northern Minnesota. There I shoveled snow every morning. Overnight the extreme cold wrung every drop of moisture out of the air, depositing 2-3 inches of fluff on the sidewalk. Walking on that fluff would turn it to ice. So every morning out I went, heavily clothed, shovel in hand. We never did have a snowstorm that winter. Yet, by the end of winter there were four foot walls of snow on either side of the sidewalk, accumulated 2-3 inches at a time.

I call this the principle of accumulation. Piles of material are accumulated a little bit at a time. What holds true of snow is also true in our soul. Seldom do piles of good or evil heap up all at once. What usually happens is that “stuff,” for good or ill accumulates bit by bit over time. We need to ask what we are accumulating in our lives through our lifestyles, habits, and decisions.

As Christ-followers we possess two natures—the Spirit of God and the sinful nature. Romans 7-8 and Galatians 5-6 reveal that we permit one or the other to dominate, accumulating “stuff” in our souls. Galatians 6:8 (NIV) The one who sows to please his sinful nature, from that nature will reap destruction; the one who sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life. We are either sowing (accumulating) to please the sinful nature or sowing (accumulating) to please the Spirit. Daily habits and decisions seem of little consequence. Yet they accumulate over time, piling up either godly stuff or evil stuff in our souls—the principle of accumulation.

This principle drives us as a church to stress the importance of daily decisions and habits far more than the one-time decision of professing Christ. Professing Christ is an important step, because our new nature is born then. But it is just the first step. In fact, if that step doesn’t affect your habits and decisions, it probably wasn’t a step at all. It was just a profession, a bunch of spiritual sounding words, but it didn’t issue in a new nature (2 Corinthians 5:17). The proof that we possess the new nature is the thousands of little steps that follow over a lifetime. Luke 9:23 says we are not a Christ-follower if we are not accumulating to the Spirit, making those daily, regular decisions that please the Spirit.

Spiritual accumulation is like shoveling snow. Shoveling snow 2-3 inches at a time is relatively easy. Shoveling snow 2-3 feet at a time is impossible. That’s why we as a church encourage small steps of increasing commitment. It begins with a commitment to Christ as Lord and Savior, then to membership and participation in His body—the church. That is followed by a commitment to maturity through biblically mandated and time tested spiritual disciplines. Next a commitment to ministry is made by discovering how God has formed and equipped one to serve. Finally, we urge becoming an on-mission Christian, extending God’s Kingdom both locally and globally. Asking ourselves to make these commitments all at once is too much. But inch by inch we can accumulate four foot godly, Spirit-pleasing drifts along the paths of our lives.

There is one other thing to note. We default to sin nature accumulation. Spiritual disciplines and commitments are hard, but life-building. Accumulating to our sinful nature is easy, but life-destroying. You must intentionally take the high and hard road of sowing to please the Spirit. What are you accumulating in your soul? 2 Peter 3:18 (NIV) Grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. When this is our daily habit, we will accumulate life!