Carried Along

I would call myself a closet gardener. Growing up I read all of the Christian romances involving homesteaders.  I love growing and making my own food.  As I teach full time during the school year, however, I don’t always put the time into my garden that I need to.  To add to my responsibilities this year, I chose not to use round up around my garden beds to cut down on the weeds.  Now, while I never used Round Up in the bed itself, keeping the weeds down around the beds was much easier with the popular chemical. I did try a natural concoction for weeds, but its results are few and far between. So, this summer, I find myself weeding one little section at a time, and trying not to be overwhelmed by all of the other little sections I don’t have time or energy to get to. 

The Christian life is like a garden without Round Up. Sure, it would be nice if we could hose down our lives with a spiritual chemical that kept our keenness to the Spirit’s leading up and our affinity towards sin down, but it doesn’t work that way.  There is a reason the Lord’s Prayer says “Give us this day our daily bread” (Matthew 6:11) and the psalmist speaks of the encountering God each “morning” (Psalm 5:3, 30:9, 59:16, 143:8). We have to seek the Lord and “weed out” sin, doubt, and fear each morning.  There is no other way.

My husband and I often talk about our efforts to remain connected as a couple. He would often joke that he wished he could make a grand effort in our marriage once a month so he could focus on work and other things.  This approach, however, does not work.  Just like in our relationship with God, our relationship with our spouse requires constant attention.  To check out for days, or longer, will result in damage, damage that is sometimes irreparable. We must make an effort to communicate and spend quality time together. Date nights and frequent communication are not easy, especially with busy work schedules and the demands of raising children.

Just like we can’t compartmentalize our commitment to our marriage, we can’t compartmentalize our relationship with God. Psalm 5 says, “In the morning Lord you hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before you and wait expectantly” (5:3), and Isaiah tells us, “My soul yearns for you in the night; in the morning my spirit longs for you” (26:9).  Clearly, different daily schedules lead to a variety of methods used to connect with God daily. Some may get up at 5 am to have a quiet time while others pray while running or showering. A stay at home parent may use nap time as a time for devotion. Regardless of how and when we do it, connecting with God is a must in order to “take up our cross daily” (Matthew 16:24) and to reduce anxiety in an anxiety-ridden world. (Philippians 4:6-7).

Holy Spirit, guide me to seek you in the word and prayer daily that I may “live in the spirit” as Galatians 5:16 instructs because “ . . . all who are led by the spirit of God are sons of God” (Romans 8:14).