Some Plant, Some Water
We have really come to enjoy having a garden. That is not to say that the weeding is at all our favorite recreational activity. However, the product of the hard work makes it all worth it. I am not just referring to the fact that we end up with produce. It is also the enjoyment of seeing reward for our labor.
In Corinthians Paul refers to evangelism in these terms. He shares in planting and watering, but the end result is the Lord’s. He is the one who provides the rain and sun for our gardens to grow and He is the one who works supernaturally in the heart of the unsaved to bring about the fruit of salvation and in the saved to bring about higher fruit production levels.
But what is our job? Ours is to plant and water. This is a concept we have a cerebral grasp of but what does that look like in every day life. I believe we first must examine what planting and watering look like for a gardener.
Planting often times does not take place in one day. Many people here in the North Country actually have to begin their planting inside to elongate the growing season. Plants are started in little peet pots and as they grow are transplanted into larger vessels and then into the ground. It is a very gentle process that takes time, care and attention.
When the frost has abated, the plants cannot be just randomly plopped in the ground. It is essential to acclimate the plants to the outdoor temperatures by putting them out during the day and taking them in at night. The soil must also be cultivated in preparation for the plants. Often a gardener must till the soil multiple times and add fertilizer in order to optimize the growth of the plants.
Watering is also a very planned and specific process. If one overwaters, the plants and fruit can rot, but if one does not water enough, the plant will lack the nutrients it needs to grow. It is important to be aware of the weather and how much it has or will rain before watering in order to have a balanced approach to providing nutrients for the plants.
You will notice that each of these processes are specific, planned, simple and most of all timely. I believe that must be our approach to sharing our faith and the Word. We must be specific, planned and yet simple and timely. You do not just stick the plants in the ground or pour a deluge of water on them and neither should we try to drown the unsaved with information. I think our strategy should be more simple and smaller.
I believe it is a slow acclimating of truth and the gentle watering of compassion that has the greatest impact on the lives of others. It is the small touches of caring and the opportunities to share your heart in the midst of conversations that plant and water the truth of God’s word in the fertile ground of a heart.
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