And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men. Colossians 3:23 KJV
Gardening is something that many of us like to do.
It brings us great joy to see what we plant grow the way it is supposed to.
It doesn’t always turn out the way we want it, but we have the heart to keep trying.
“Working in God’s Garden”, was the title in a devotional I was reading.
It was based on a statement a gentleman made about planting a “garden”.
The method he felt would enhance our work skills.
When I read them, I felt they applied to our “Spiritual skills” also.
He stated that we should do the following:
Plant five rows of “peas”.
Bringing forth prayer, preparedness, promptness, perseverance, and politeness.
Three rows of “squash”.
Good for squashing gossip, criticism, and indifference.
Five rows of “lettuce”.
It would “let us” love one another, “let us” be unselfish, and “let us” be faithful.
Three rows of “turnips”.
Making it possible for us to turn up for church, to turn up with new ideas, and to turn up with the determination to do a better job today than we did yesterday.
There is much to be said about what he was saying.
When we think about it, the “peas” are the things that will give us the ability to handle any situation in the best way possible.
The “squash” keeps us from being distracted and not living according to the Word. We get rid of anything that is making it difficult to do things correctly.
The “lettuce” is good for receiving even more blessings because we are treating each other the way we want to be treated. The way that the Lord has shown us to handle all situations.
The “turnips” help us to realize that we all have a part to play in making sure things go according to His Word. That when we come together as ‘one’, much is accomplished.
For some we may need to plant more rows, but what he says is a start.
We learn more about what we need as we do it.
As we become more aware of what we can or need to grow in our lives, we will start to plant other seeds.
Paul has told us that, “Whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men; Knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance: for ye serve the Lord Christ” (Colossians 3:23-24).
God’s garden grows beautifully when we take care of it in the correct way.
When we have a true love for the Lord, it isn’t hard for us to work joyfully, together and with a cheerful heart.
Our work becomes worship, our fellowship helps it to grow, and when the garden is complete, we will have done what the Lord has called us to do.
Working in God’s garden, yields a harvest of blessings.
We would be fulfilling God’s plan for mankind.
So, today let us begin to look at our attitudes toward the work we are called to do.
In the end you will see it was well worth it.
A WORD OF PRAYER
Savior, when we plant the seed of the Word in our lives, we know we need to constantly water it. Knowing that we can only do this when we pray, read, and never cease in seeking Your guidance. We desire to serve You and grow in the Spirit. Knowing that at harvest time we will reap the rewards You have for us. Let us be wise in all our doings.
In Jesus Name We Pray, Amen