In the Garden
The Bible says if it takes root you will struggle to get it out. Once upon a time, in a season of many weeds, it seemed too late.
God brought to mind a picture of my home garden. We had removed many plants since they were not exactly what we wanted. However, we waited much too long to replant and – living in a jungle – the weeds soon took over. I was ripping out weeds left and right, burning them to prevent the seeds from spreading. It was all out war – but I was losing. See, a jungle is the perfect place for weeds to thrive. I was at a loss.
It was in this time that my landlady – who knew the biome and garden well – told me to just plant whatever I want in there right over the weeds. Stop wasting energy chasing weeds, stop waiting to plant until the weeds are gone. Plant what you desire in those spaces, what should have been there – they will starve the weeds of resources. They will blot out the sun because they grow higher. They will deplete the nutrients in the ground & slurp up the water, because their roots grow deeper. And if you take care of them well, they will multiply and fill up the space. All you have to do, is prevent the weeds from seeding.
Years later, sitting in my apartment. God brought back this conversation when I needed it most. I had been declaring war on the bitter resentment. Pushing it down, moving it aside, looking away, trying to force myself not to feel it, scolding myself for it. I was chopping at this weed which had taken over most of my garden with everything I had – and filling my life with what was supposed to be in it had fallen by the way side. There was no energy left for it. But when we start filling our lives with the joy of the things that are truly important, something changes. We let go of what we believe we were entitled to. We learn that God promised to give us a ten fold recompense, and we learn to recognize it when it looks different from what we had in mind. We learn that chasing happiness will forever leave us empty, but chasing our true purpose in the kingdom leaves us happy and content by default.
In short – we stop playing defense and move towards offense. And everyone knows – the best defense is a good offence.
And as I started filling open spaces (time, energy, talents) with the fruits that God intends, the rest are starving, curling up, dying, and blowing away. A strange peace comes to mind, and 2 pieces of scripture describe it best. Paul wrote these in chains, and what an example that is to us. If anyone had the right to be bitter, it was Paul. However, Paul chose to minister to the very people that had cast him in chains, so that none of these may be lost. In this, Paul strives towards the example of Christ on the cross, as we do too.
Philippians 1:10-12
And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, 10 so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, 11 filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ—to the glory and praise of God. Now I want you to know, brothers and sisters,[b] that what has happened to me has actually served to advance the gospel.
Philippians 4:7
And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
