Tending the Garden of the Soul
“Let no one say when he is tempted, 'I am being tempted by God,' for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempts no one. But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death. Do not be deceived, my beloved brothers.” ~James 1:13–16
During my summer morning walks, I noticed a neighbor diligently weeding and mulching the flower beds at his driveway's entrance. Despite the scorching heat, he painstakingly removed the crabgrass and other nuisances, replacing them with fresh black mulch. The transformation was admirable.
However, as days passed, the persistent weeds made their return. I waited for him to act, yet the weeds thrived, and the mulch disappeared beneath them.
This scene stands as a poignant reminder of the times I've allowed sin to grow unchecked in the garden of my soul. Do you recall moments of spiritual neglect in your journey with God? Are you experiencing one now?
Take a moment for a spiritual inventory. Reflect upon the past week or month. Have you felt the warmth of communion with the Lord, or has there been a growing distance? Are you putting faith to work in the cut and thrust of daily life? Are you confessing your sins sincerely and specifically? A generic confession lacks the depth required for true repentance.
When pondering your actions and inactions, do you discern patterns in your sinful choices? We gravitate toward specific sins due to personal reasons. For some, it's the paralyzing fear of man. Others are lured by comfort and convenience. Still others fear losing control, constantly manipulating people and situations to ensure they're always in command.
At times, the weight of our missteps feels crushing. In those moments, I'm reminded of blind Bartimaeus, who, despite the crowd's rebukes, cried out fervently for Jesus' mercy. And Jesus, in His boundless compassion, stopped to help him.
This illustrates Jesus' inexhaustible willingness to assist the weary, lost, and desolate. Just as the hungry are drawn to food and the thirsty to water, so is Jesus drawn to our pleas for guidance and redemption. Think of the days we spent in malls, husbands patiently waiting as wives visited their favorite shoe stores, unable to pass by the allure of a sale. Wives, you probably feel the same frustration with your husband at a hardware store or in the fishing department of Outdoor World. Jesus feels the same force of attraction, but not to shoes or fishing rods. He simply cannot ignore a soul in distress, crying out to Him for help.
Bring your burdens to Jesus. Let Him tend to the garden of your soul, uprooting every weed and nurturing every bloom. He awaits your call, eager to restore and rejuvenate.
Dr. Neil C. Stewart, Pastor