“Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters.” Colossians 3:23-24
In my own sanctification journey, I thought that I’d come to a good place to not have to work so hard at doing God’s work. When my mom died last year, I was suddenly given the role as faithful steward in caring for my dad. A new “garden” had been planted for me to tend.
There’s quite a lot of weeding and tending going on right now in this new garden. The Holy Spirit allows me plenty of opportunities to go backwards in my journey. Seemingly endless doctor visits, hours long emergency room trips, and being the mental keeper of all the various issues he has at this time. On top of it, I did the one thing I never wanted to do but realized we had to do – place my dad in a short term health facility while he receives ongoing medical treatment.
God rarely seems to give us these more difficult tasks to perform alone. He has blessed me with wonderful family and friends who have pulled on their gardening gloves as well. An opportunity to make this a community garden filled with love, compassion, humility and service.
Each day, after tending this garden I give thanks to the Lord for all He has given and shown me. I give thanks for the friendly staff at all the places, even when things don’t go as planned. I give thanks for the knowledge He gave me about His character – that He would never leave me or forsake me. Thanks for the Holy Spirit teaching me patience, kindness and compassion. And I give thanks for each opportunity to share the Gospel and God’s Word with my atheist father.
You may recall I wrote a few weeks ago that during Covid I sought the advice of a Christian counselor in answering the question: How do I honor my mother and father who have rejected me?
I never dreamed He would answer my question with the great responsibility He has now gifted me. He gave me baby steps to steward my new self, given through faith in His Son. He planted forgiveness and love in me to tend.
“His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’” – Matthew 25:21
My friends, on this journey we are never done in our gardens until our last breath. Until then we are to plant the seeds with our children, grandchildren or the children at our churches. We tend to our gardens by helping others see the weeds growing in their lives – and we ask them to help us in turn.
We may even need to spray for those pesky bugs in our midst. Pastors, teachers, and elders who try and introduce words counter to the truth of God. And we join together to celebrate the harvest. Friends, families, and acquaintances who ask to be baptized in the Lord Jesus Christ.
In my favorite “go to” book of the Bible, James, we are reminded to be faithful stewards of God’s garden. Faithful doers of the Word so that the Word is not forgotten, in ourselves and in others to come.
"Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like someone who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. But whoever looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues in it—not forgetting what they have heard, but doing it—they will be blessed in what they do." James 1: 22-25
Jesus lamented the lack of garden laborers in Matthew 9:35-38 when He said, “The harvest is plentiful but the laborers are few.” The Lord is signing up people like you and me for the most important job in the history of mankind. People who know the Word, who have experienced His presence in times of trial, people who are obedient to His Word.
It’s time to gather your tools and get to work.
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