Frustration
Most people would consider me to be a keen gardener. I populate tubs and hanging baskets with flowering plants, grow several different types of vegetables, and aim to keep the shrubs and lawn in good order. Despite all this effort, I am often frustrated at the results. This year has been especially bad due to the weather conditions; cool and overcast when the seeds needed to germinate, then hot and dry when they were eventually ready to be planted out – and ever since! But the bottom line is that I just don’t seem to be as green-fingered as my neighbour, or some other growers. The persistent heat has required me to spend significant time each day watering, which gets a bit tedious when tired in the evening, or keen to get on with more fulfilling activities at the start of the day. Jean has often encouraged me to be more consistent with applying fertiliser; I am a little erratic in this.
One particular observation this year has been that if I let the hanging baskets get too dry, not only do the plants suffer, but my watering efforts are frustrated; the liquid tends not to soak in readily, such that it spills over almost a soon as I begin. I then have to wait a while and try again – sometimes it takes a few applications before the soil is sufficiently absorbent to become saturated. Even though I take tending the garden seriously, I have other things to do as well; it is a hobby, not my vocation.
Bearing fruit
You may recall that Adam and Eve were tasked with tending the Garden of Eden. We aren’t told how good a job they did, just that some trees appear to have borne fruit. God would have us bear fruit, albeit of a different kind, but our ability to do so will depend on how well we tend the garden of our souls. We are each in danger of treating our spiritual lives similarly to a hobby, something that we like to do when we have spare time and inclination. But, actually, this needs to be valued as a vocation – if you are a Christian, then this is something that God has called you to. This isn’t about religious observance but about your heart. In Matthew 6:21, we read Jesus’ words: “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”. I believe that it is an irrefutable fact that where our hearts are is demonstrated by what we actually do, our behaviour, not necessarily by what we claim to value.
Commitment
There is a saying that actions speak louder than words. I am a keen gardener, but not a dedicated one – I’m sure I would get better results if I committed myself more fully to the task. Maybe if I researched the best location for particular plants, the best soil type, the right time to prune. Maybe if I tested the soil for nutrients, rather than just throwing in fertiliser pellets randomly. I might get better results if I spent more on materials or invested in a heated greenhouse, perhaps. But my commitment has its limits. I realise that doing the right things might not entail more work but rather working smarter, but as I say, I am a keen gardener, not a dedicated one.
Hindrances
There are lots of reasons why we may struggle to be keen gardeners of our souls. Not least because we have a real enemy who is inventive when it comes to finding ways to thwart us and distract us from fulfilling God’s best plan for our lives. However, perhaps the more obvious reason for our struggles is our preference for choosing what we perceive to be in our self-interest. I say ‘self-interest’ because we all recognise that we have a selfish streak, and ‘perceived’ because, if you think carefully about this, it is most definitely in our best interests to fulfil God’s purposes – to know, and follow, the leading of the Holy Spirit; to live for God and worship him in every aspect of our lives. What can be more to our benefit than this?
Being smart
Being a dedicated Christian isn’t harder than simply being a keen one – just smarter. Many of us get involved in things that, whilst they may be within God’s permissive will for us, aren’t his perfect will for our lives. We may take up tasks or activities because we want to be useful in the Kingdom of God, or because they are things that we feel we ‘should’ do. But these may be a distraction from what he is calling us to undertake – that which is his best purpose for us; things for which he has gifted and equipped us. It is easy to get involved in what I term religious activity, rather than to hear, know and do what God is calling us to – his perfect will.
Priorities
Let’s have one last dip into the gardening analogy. If I am not consistent with my watering, then the plants suffer, and the efficiency of my irrigation is hindered as well. When it comes to spiritual exercise, whilst some may value spontaneity, consistency is important; making regular time for prayer, having a disciplined approach to reading the Bible, and prioritising meeting together. The contrast to this is to do these things only when we want to, or feel able to fit them into our busy lives. The latter might indicate a degree of keenness, but surely not dedication. We give the highest priority to what we value most.