Cut it out!

Shovel, dig, swipe...this was the rhythmic beat I moved to for over an hour this morning. The shoveling and digging, that was me attacking the grass and weeds that I let overtake our garden. The swiping, that was for the sweat and dirt running down my face because it was hard work! Emily and I planted a garden earlier in the spring. We got a few squash and a couple of monster zucchinis out of it. In the beginning we tended the garden faithfully. Me more so then her, she would rather be playing in the dirt or the water, or both making mud. I would water and fertilize, and weed out those pesky intruders. Anything that wasn't producing a vegetable was tossed out. That garden was lovingly tended for the purpose of growing yummy veggies that we would and did enjoy later. Anything extra was a freeloader, stealing nutrients and preventing the plants from growing into maturity. The freeloaders, would hinder the growth and development of my plants, and beat them out altogether if I let them. A few months later, the intruders have almost taken over my garden. My fault entirely, I let my tending duties fall by the wayside. As I was digging up and ripping out the plants, I looked around regretting I hadn't been more faithful, thinking how much the state of my garden is like that my heart and the hearts of others in my church. It all started one little weed at a time, and when it wasn't promptly removed it fed off of the soil and nutrients intended for my plants, and it grew, and grew, and grew. And soon they were producing more intruders than my plants were fruit. And you know I didn't have to try and grow those weeds, they did it all by themselves. They grew without me doing anything, and without me doing anything they outgrew the good things in my garden. We are so much like that. See we are the gardens God has designed to produce good fruit so that we may win others to Him and so that we may be a blessing to each other. Tending to ourselves takes a lot of work, it's hard. When we don't tend faithfully, pulling out those weeds of discontent, jealousy, strife between one another, bad attitudes, or unfaithfulness in our service to Him, to name a few, we become overgrown and unproductive. And sometimes our weeds will spread to others, or sometimes we allow their weeds to overtake us. The easiest way to let the weeds in...when we take our eyes off of Him and begin to look around at others. God tells us to "Judge not, that ye be not judged," in Matthew not necessarily to spare the other person from our expectations, but to spare us. He knows that damage that can be done when we began to take on the job of inspector. Not only do we become critical of others allowing for weeds to take root, but we become victims of our own expectations. He reminds us that how we judge others and with what measure we "mete it shall be measured to you again." (Matthew 7:1-2) How we deal out things such as harsh words, criticism, and expectations or caring, forgiveness and understanding will be returned to us. Be mindful you can be the spreader of weeds, or you can prevent the spreading of weeds.

The point is plain and simple keep tending and when you think to look around at others, tend to yourself.