What is in Your Garden?

I love to be in my garden, my yard, my very small unproductive orchard! I love getting in the dirt and feeling it in my fingers. I even like the smell of good old fashion dirt! Sounds weird I know but it is true! I don’t have the time I really need to take care of my garden properly. Therefore, I know why it is rather unproductive. I know the nutrients it needs, the tools necessary for up keep, the watering, and of course the weeding! To make it what it should be requires time, discipline, effort, and love. The Bible talks about God as the gardener. He wants to have a productive garden too. We are the garden! He wants us to bear good fruit. Some of us have weeds in our garden and things that God wants to pluck out.

Galatians 5:22-23

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Jesus is the true vine: remaining in Him is how we have a productive garden!

John 15:1-8

[ The Vine and the Branches ] “I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener.2 He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes[a]5 “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. 6 If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned.8 This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.

Jesus the true vine tells us how to take care of our garden (spirit man) inside each of us. Remain in Him (Jesus), this will please the Father (The Gardener) and he will prune that which bears good fruit! That is our actions, deeds, controlling our emotions and above all having love. Do you have weeds in your garden? Things opposite of the fruit of the Spirit? If so, ask God to help remove those things that are causing an unproductive garden. Take the time to be in God’s Word, praying in the spirit, being disciplined in all you do, making an effort to help those around you and grow in love for all God’s people.