What’s in Your Garden?

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long suffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.” Galatians 5:22-23 NKJV

God was with Adam and Eve in Eden. Likewise, God is with me in my garden. Our Father reveals His beauty beneath the endless sky. Yet, if my earthly garden is going to grow, it requires a lot of work! My spiritual growth demands the same effort as well.  

One lesson I learned from Adam and Eve is to keep snakes out of my garden. I’ve thrown moth balls, sprayed repellent and sprinkled granules enough for the entire block! But what about those “snakes” that aren’t tangible. Temptation? Envy? Greed? Apathy?

I must exert the same degree of effort spiritually to keep “snakes” from sneaking into my space. Or at the very least, kill them while they are young. It’s relatively easy to kill a baby. Something several feet long is altogether different!

Some snakes are discreet, and blend in with our surroundings. Others are colorful and easier to notice. Some are just irritants. Others are deadly. It is up to each of us to guard our personal gardens from “snakes” that deceive. I’m pretty particular about what I want in my garden. For my safety and that of my family, I must also be diligent about what I  keep out!  

When I neglect my garden it is soon overrun with weeds! I am amazed at how a weed can grow through concrete but the seeds I want to grow must be guarded and nurtured. The junk in life comes to us far easier than anything of value. We can allow this same junk to overrun us if we aren’t careful. When we should be plucking up what doesn’t belong, we can easily find ourselves distracted by people and things that eat up precious time. Too much social media anyone? Internet surfing?

Neglect can leave you with a mess. It is a major cause of broken relationships. Marriages suffer when spouses don’t make each other a priority. Children are hurt when they watch parents give valuable time to other people and interests, leaving them with only the scraps that remain.

It requires time to nurture what I want to grow. I spend hours watering and fertilizing what I want to bloom and remain. I am a huge fan of Miracle-Gro because I get better results when I use it. Likewise, I do better when I read my “miracle grow” which is God’s Word.

Scripture gives me faith to stand tall during adversity and persist through my trials. God’s promises give me clarity to recognize potential “snakes.” Reading what God did reminds me of what He can do!

Miracle-Gro works great, but you have to apply it often. You can’t just use it once and be done. God’s Word is effective when we continually immerse ourselves in it and allow scripture to dictate our behavior. I must apply God’s word to my daily life if I’m going to grow stronger and be fruitful.

We all have snakes and weeds to guard against that try to keep us from thriving.  We can bear good fruit or allow any old pest or plague to destroy us. Gods gives us each a choice.

I may never become a “master gardener,” yet I choose to give it all that I have and do the best that I can.  

What about you?

“Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me.

I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.” John 15:4-5 NKJV