Scripture pictures.025
The more you plant, the more you have to water

It’s becoming a daily ritual.

At some point in the day, I walk behind the shrubbery and uncoil the water hose.  From there, I drag it to four stops in the front yard.

A few weeks ago, I made an investment in that yard.  I purchased some bulbs and plants, and with the kids’ help, I planted them in beds and pots in our yard.  And, when you make an investment — money, time, energy, effort — you want to see that invest bring a return.  In this case, I want to see those bulbs and seeds grow and bloom.

But that time between planting and enjoying the end result requires work on my part.

The more that I plant in the yard, the more I have to water it. It simply will not reach what it is supposed to reach if I do not put in the time and effort to water it.

So, the more you plant, the more you have to water.

As you water those seeds that you are trying to grow, you are learning something about patience.  A child might plant a seed and expect a fully grown plant to appear the next morning.  Yet, in reality, that garden requires patience and requires us to be in it for the long haul.

Now, obviously this is about more than just thoughts on gardening.  This is a lesson for life.

Every decision, that carries any significant weight in our lives, requires us to put in some effort to see it through.

It’s not enough to simply have a new job.  We have to go there, put in the time, grow and learn.

Building relationships is more than just declaring, “I have a friend.”  It requires us to make an effort to get to know that person, to spend time together and to share parts of our life journey.

With that in mind, I decided to turn to scripture. One of  the books that really speaks to me is the Book of James.  There’s much research on the author of this book, but many of them point to the writer as James, the brother of Jesus.  Now, imagine if people said your sibling was the “Son of God” or the “Messiah.”  What would it take to convince you of that?

James was so convinced that he shares some of the most pointed words in the Bible about following Jesus and what that looks like.

Here’s what he says about sowing, watering and patience: Therefore, brothers and sisters, you must be patient as you wait for the coming of the Lord. Consider the farmer who waits patiently for the coming of rain in the fall and spring, looking forward to the precious fruit of the earth. You also must wait patiently, strengthening your resolve, because the coming of the Lord is near. (James 5:7-8 CEB)

Maybe you catch that image and get that idea of the farmer (or gardener) waiting on the water to get to the place of a harvest.  That says something for us about having some patience in our own life journeys.

I’ve thought about how that would apply to my own journey as a Christ follower. I can say that I follow Jesus and have that great moment of celebration.  But, to see that moment grow into a harvest and bear fruit, I have to do some watering.

I need to put in the time to pray, to read scripture, to worship, to be around other believers, to live and to grow.  When I don’t do those things, or I go through seasons when I’m not doing those things, my faith struggles to grow.  The more you plant, the more you have to water.

And I see that in church too.  Church can’t just be about numbers — counting noses (attendance) and nickels (weekly offering).  It can’t just be a number that we share every week about how many people came to Christ at the most recent worship service.

Church is a place where those seeds of faith are watered and where they are given room to grow.  That’s why Church is more than just evangelism — it’s about prayer, scripture, worship and living and growing with others.

The more you plant, the more you have to water.

Are you in one of those seasons where you feel stuck or flat?  Maybe it’s time to ask yourself if you are doing enough watering?  Every garden, every good crop, every fruit we bear in life requires us to water what has been planted.

The more you plant, the more you have to water.

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