Lessons
from the garden:
Melissa
and I are avid gardeners. Part of our motive for gardening is
that we really enjoy working together in the garden, and part of our
motive is the fact that a large garden can yield thousands of dollars
in produce in a normal year. Over the years, I have come to see
many illustrations of the spiritual life in my work in the garden,
and have often discussed them with my wife and others. While it
is certain that others have already written similar ideas (and likely
better stated), I will share these insights here as well.
The
Lesson of Weeds and Good Soil:
When
you garden, you must deal with the issue of weeds. Everywhere
you turn, your garden will be overtaken by weeds unless you
intentionally do something about those weeds. Quack-grass and other
grasses seem to grow better in our garden than in the rest of the
yard, and indeed, every form of weed, including alfalfa grows better
in our garden than outside of it. This brings me to the first
spiritual parallel.
Consider
the “Parable of the Sower”, as we call it, which could be better
called “The Parable of the Soils.” Each soil represents a
heart condition. Nothing grew in the first soil, being a road
of hard-packed dirt. Though plants sprouted quickly in the
second soil, there was no depth in the soil, as bedrock underneath
the topsoil did not allow for deep roots. When plants became
too large for the small roots to nourish them, the plant withered and
died in the scorching sun. The third soil seemed to be rich and
good, but thorns (and who knows what else could be with the thorns)
grew there, chocking out the fruit. The final soil was good
soil, free of “weeds”, if you will, and it yielded wonderful
fruit. However, it would seem that both of the last two
scenarios actually had good soil in the strict sense. However,
only one produced fruit.
So
what lesson am I driving at? Is it that we need to get rid of
“weeds” (or thorns and briars, etc.)? No, it’s not,
though we must. The first lesson is this. Weeds and crops
both like good soil. Both will grow in it better than in other
soil. God’s word and Satan’s counterfeits will both take
root in softened, open, and receptive hearts. This is a
startling thought, but consider the lessons of history. How
often are Christians led astray into captivating sins and destructive
teachings. How many times do New Testament writers, as well as
prophets, psalmists, and Moses, instruct us to be diligent to
remember the words spoken beforehand by the Lord and to keep His
commandments (Deut. 4, 5, 6 etc., Malachi 4, II Peter, Jude, Timothy,
Titus, Galatians, etc.)? Why these commands? While Satan
knows that he cannot truly touch believers born of God (I John 5), He
knows that he can choke out the fruit of our lives if we allow so
many other things (“weeds”) to crowd out the good plants of the
garden.
Just
as weeds love good soil that has been worked and prepared, bad ideas
and sinful patterns like a heart that has been worked up, softened,
prepared, and made receptive. If we lack discernment, we are in
danger of collecting many spiritual “weeds”, or “thorns” that
will choke out the good fruit that God desires to bring in our
lives.
