Nurture Your Garden
Then Isaac sowed in that land, and reaped in the same year a hundredfold; and the Lord blessed him. Genesis 26:12
Imagine, you had a small garden in which you planted a variety of seeds. It’s very obvious that the reason we have gardens is to nurture them and enjoy their fruits, isn’t it? When we are faithful in doing this, what happens? Of course, they grow and we will have what desire. But, if we don’t, we have nothing to expect in due season too.
Likewise, life is like our garden. The fruits of our today are the seeds of our yesterday, and the fruits of our tomorrow will be the seeds of today. Consider what happens when a gardener sleeps when he should be planting or nurturing. It’s not a one-sided thing, though. You see, this isn’t about another person, but you. Some people you see doing nothing now may have hired others to do the gardening for them, and that’s something. Some others have already done so before now.
Read: Learning How to Follow
So, before you start pointing a finger and calling out “lazy gardeners”, check yourself, are you watering your own garden? Are you mocking another while yours lie unattended? Are you only viewing a totally wrong perspective altogether because you’re unaware of what they’ve done already to be doing what they are doing now?
I want you to take a look at your relationship with yourself, your interpersonal relationships, your spiritual life, health, financial life, your character, your appearance, your family, your life as a while as a garden. See it like if you don’t sow and nurture, you’ll not have anything in return, and no one will hand it to you. You have to do it yourself. Again, don’t look at another, but at yourself.
A good reminder, a good checking up, a consistent partnership, a consistent walk over time is a good way to nurture these things – CONSISTENCY. Consistently applying care. Consistently appreciating. Consistently showing value is another way to nurture – VALUE. What you value, you sacrifice for.
What you value, you don’t neglect. What you value, you invest in. What you value, you’re not afraid to sacrifice for – SACRIFICE. It is these three that hold a powerful grip on your enjoyment of the garden you want to have, and the word for all three is INVESTMENT. Consistency is an investment. Value is an investment. And sacrifice is an investment too.
ROOTS AND FRUITS. CAUSE AND EFFECT
“Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or else make the tree bad and its fruit bad; for a tree is known by its fruit. A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good things, and an evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth evil things.” Matthew 12:33, 35
Yes, we have talked about giving attention to the garden in order to get the best out of it. We have seen how you’d need commitment, value, and sacrifice to make this work. This is called investment. Permit me to still say this, “invest all you want, if a tree is sick, it needs attention”.
We must give attention to life’s happenings, especially ours. If my actions and results aren’t satisfying, then something is wrong somewhere. I won’t get answers by changing my actions. This is where most of us miss it. We think by changing actions, we will get new results. That’s like saying, by removing tiny oranges you’ll get larger ones from the same tree. No. For you to get larger, more consistent, and better, healthier fruits, you need to operate on the root. If the fruit is sick, plucking them is not the answer, it’s checking the root itself that’s the answer.
He also spoke this parable:
“A certain man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard, and he came seeking fruit on it and found none. Then he said to the keeper of his vineyard, ‘Look, for three years I have come seeking fruit on this fig tree and find none. Cut it down; why does it use up the ground?’ But he answered and said to him, ‘Sir, let it alone this year also, until I dig around it and fertilize it. And if it bears fruit, well. But if not, after that you can cut it down.’ ” Luke 13:6-9
Our physical lives are a product of our inner being. If I’m damaging my relationships, for instance, or hurting people through my character, it might not be that I need to change friends, but that I need to change me. I may change a hundred friends and still repeat the same circle of effect, why because I am yet to deal with the cause, me.
So, look inward beloved. Take some time and put yourself under the lenses. Seek help where you need it. Read books. Take counseling classes. Meditate, transform your thought patterns. Pray. Realize that the moment the inner you change, the outer you will manifest that. Your life and its connections (relationships, finances, work, etc.) are that trees in the tree, the garden, while your actions are the fruits. If you need better fruits, nurture, and operate on the roots. Give yourself time and break up fallow grounds. In doing so, you’ll be surprised by your results for good.
Will you go out and invest in life today? Remember, the seed you nurture today is the fruit you will have tomorrow.
A prayer:
(Ref.:- Job 4:8, Ps. 126:5, Eccl. 11:4-6, Jer. 4:3, Gal. 6:7-8, 2Cor. 9:6)
Father Lord, it is from a place of humility and trust that I ask you today to grant me the grace to invest into life regardless of what’s happening around me until I reap the fruits of it, in Jesus name, amen
Father, in the name of Jesus, touch my heart and reorganize me for great results every day, amen
James Osayande George lives by the mandate to reveal the liberating truth of God’s word in simplicity and accuracy through a cutting edge teaching ministry.
Having been saved at the young age of thirteen (13) years old through a Divine encounter, he has since dedicated himself to know and serve the Lord with his life.
Best known for his calm voice, James George has ministered in full-time ministry since 2014 within which period he served as one-time resident pastor of Glad Tidings Life Triumphant Church, Kaduna State, Nigeria under his spiritual father and mentor, Pastor Moses Enabulele.
A student of the prestigious Kenneth Hagin’s Rhema Bible Training Center, Nigeria, James George is the author and co-author of numerous published and unpublished manuscripts and poems for blogs and magazines, as well as books including Walking through the Word Devotional (a classic all year round devotional book). Your Journey and God is his first published book. He runs a blog at www.thischariot.wordpress.com
He is the pioneer of G. M. M. Network, a body of believers dedicated to church growth, spiritual development, youth, and women empowerment, as well as outreach to the less privileged. He currently resides in and does his ministry from Lagos State, Nigeria
