Only Healthy Things Grow
Someone asked me the other day. “How do you keep your flower garden looking so nice?” My answer is simple. I work at it. I easily spend 10-20 hours per week working in my garden during the summer. So what am I doing during that time? Well, besides the obvious weeding and watering, I am examining my plants. Insects and disease can appear overnight. If a gardener is not attentive they will lose their flowers or vegetable crops in just a few short days.
The key to pest and disease control begins with good, healthy soil. According to the USDA there are over 20,000 different types of soil in the United States. With that thought in mind, it is no wonder that getting your soil tested before you begin to garden is a must. Fall is the best time of year for a soil test. Take 15-20 samples of soil at a depth of 6-8 inches. Put the samples in a bucket. Mix the samples together. Fill a quart size zip lock bag with the mixed soil sample and take it to your local county extension office. In a week or two you will receive a soil analysis and recommendations for amendments or fertilizer to incorporate.
The next step to a successful garden is choosing good, healthy, quality plants. Remember the rule of thumb, “You get what you pay for.” In nature, the strong survive and the weak are devoured. Despite my best efforts, I still have plants that fail to thrive in my garden. I take a certain amount of time with a plant that is fighting an insect or disease. I apply 2-3 applications of pesticide or fungicide. But, if a plant remains weak, I pull it out and replace it. I do this because I know there are times when a plant will never recover. If I leave it in the garden, it may infect the other flowers.
This is also true in the body of Christ. There are people all around us who need God. They are hurting and confused. They are beaten down and weakened by the cares of life. We have their remedy. It is found in the truth of God’s Word. It is found in a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. However, we must also keep in mind that all people have the power of choice. We can show them love and encourage them. We can teach them the principles and precepts of the Word. But the time comes when it is up to them to apply what they have learned. They must eventually stand for themselves.
I know of people who have felt the call to full time ministry. They have a genuine love and compassion for people. They desperately desire to teach in front of a group. They get stuck in a rut doing unproductive work where there is never any fruit or life change. The years go by and they are in front of the very same people, teaching the exact same thing over and over again. As the saying goes, they are “Parting the whisker’s to insert the bottle.” The sad reality is they have wasted time and energy on something that will never grow or thrive.
“He cuts off every branch of mine that doesn’t produce fruit, and he prunes the branches that do bear fruit so they will produce even more.” (John 15:2)
When my husband left a good job and we moved 600 miles away from our friends and family to start a new career in ministry; people thought we were crazy. What they did not realize is that we were taking our family to a place where we would grow and thrive spiritually. Our church is known all over the world for its ministry to children and youth. Twenty years later, our lives and our sons’ lives are living proof that we made the right choice. Our sons all work within their callings and gifts. My husband does not stand behind a pulpit in front of people. But he is in the ministry. He is the director over approximately 50 people that he pours his heart into everyday. He does not have a title. What he does have are people growing and developing their God given talents. We chose to make a radical change in our lives to move where the spiritual soil was rich, alive and healthy. It is a place where we could grow and thrive spiritually.
I challenge you to take a moment and assess your situation today. Is the work you are doing for the Lord producing fruit? If not, does it just need watering, weeding, pruning or do you need to pull out and replace it with something new? My husband and I have come to realize that the most important notoriety in life is not in what we do before men. What we are accountable for at end of our days on this planet is what we have done for God.
“…How joyful are those who fear the Lord and delight in obeying His command. Their children will be successful everywhere; an entire generation of godly people will be blessed. They themselves will be wealthy, and their good deeds will last forever.” (Psalms 112:1-3)