My Grandpa MacPherson was a prize gardener. Literally. As in he actually won several blue ribbons at various fairs for the huge, flavorful fruit and vegetables he grew in his garden. He was known all over Ontario as a master nurseryman.
But it didn’t happen over night.
No, Grandpa spent hours, days, months and years in his garden (except Sundays). He cultivated the soil, fertilized, watered, and cared for his plants “religiously” as they grew and harvested the fruit at the proper time. It was a full-time job. And it was hard work! Lou Erickson said, “Gardening requires lots of water–most of it in the form of perspiration.” Grandpa had been a hard worker his entire life, and he had already retired from the ministry, so he threw himself into the grueling, hands-and-knees labor. Rain or shine, you could (almost) always find Grandpa working tirelessly in his garden. It was a huge commitment, but Grandpa was faithful.
Now… let me ask you a question. Do you think my Grandpa would have had as much success with his garden if he spent all his time traveling around Canada inspecting other people’s gardens? Would his fruit have been as large and luscious if he was more concerned with the gardens of others?
It doesn’t take a horticulturist to answer this question correctly. The answer is a resounding NO.
Well, much like keeping a prize-winning garden, bearing the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23) in our lives requires much work. And if we constantly abandon the work of cultivating our own gardens (studying the Bible and actually obeying it, prayer, good deeds) to inspect others’, there’s a good chance that our fruit will shrivel and die. Without the gardener’s attention, it doesn’t take long for the weeds of sin to grow and choke out the healthy plants. And the enemy’s locusts are always looking for an unattended garden to destroy. I realize that the Holy Spirit does most of the work in the gardens of our hearts, but if we are not constantly and actively seeking spiritual growth, there’s a good chance that our fruit is beginning to wilt. It does not require much neglect for our fruit to rot on the boughs. The enemy is well aware of this, so you can be sure that he will divert your attention everywhere except where it needs to be focused. His favorite ruse is to tap our pride on the shoulder and say, “Hey, look at his/her garden. Your fruit is so much better.”
Sadly, we have all fallen for this at one time or another, but it needs to stop.
So here it is: are you the self-appointed fruit inspector of your family, friends, workplace, church, or community? Are you constantly calling others out but neglecting your own garden? If so, you might want to take a look in your backyard. Chances are there are some weeds that need pulling and bugs that need exterminating.
“Pay careful attention to your own work, for then you will get the satisfaction of a job well done, and you won’t need to compare yourself to anyone else.” – Galatians 6:4
In Christ’s perfect love,
Dwight
The Parson
