A Well-Tended Garden

What do you need to weed out? What new seeds do you need to plant?

Last week we talked about Jesus’ parable of the sower and soils, and hopefully identified which soil we fall under.

As a gardener, we not only have to sow the seed, we also have to constantly weed the garden.

What are some weeds that have grown in your soil? It could be the weed of doubt or fear. It could be anxiety or pride.

Paul writes to the Galatians in chapter 5 about the Fruit of the Spirit. That when we are in step with the Spirit, we produce His fruit. They are: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. It’s important to remember that we don’t white-knuckle these and produce them on our way, it’s when the Holy Spirit is at work in us. How are you staying in step with the Spirit? Through prayer? Through his word?

Something that we should practice are these big churchy words, vivication and mortification. Vivication, is finding those things in our life that increase our affections for Jesus and doing them. Mortification is finding those things that hinder our walk with Jesus and cutting those out.

What are some weeds you need to pull out today? What fruit do you see the Holy Spirit working in you? What are some things that stir your affections for Jesus? I pray the Lord will reveal those to you, and those that pull you away so that you can draw closer to Him.