Spring is coming

It seems that as soon as winter starts we begin looking for spring. I get tired of the cold and snow quickly and forget about the hot days of summer and long for the beauty of springtime.

As spring approaches we start preparing for the enjoyment of outside life, the beauty of new growth, flowers and the bland colors of winter turning into the colorful season of spring. We get out and plow up the garden, then prepare the ground for a productive growing season. We plant our seeds and wait for God to give the increase.

As the young plants grow we water, we pull weeds or anything that might hurt the young plants, We fertilize, we stake up the plants, we chase the varmints away all in anticipation of fresh home grown vegetables. We rejoice as the first fruit of our labor comes in. But as the summer comes so does the heat now what was enjoyable in the spring has become heavy labor. We no long desire to pull up the weeds, even watering has become a chore in the heat of the day. We wonder, is it worth it? Do I need to tend this garden, it would be easier to let someone else grow my vegetables, I could just go to the store and buy tomatoes some one else grew and who knows what kind of fertilizer they used. It won't taste as good but I won't have to sweat and labor in the garden I planted.

We so often have become a people of convenience. Most of the time pleasure only comes after some form of inconvenience. To enjoy the full harvest of our garden there will be the inconvenience of sweat, heat, blisters and sometimes sore muscles. The end results of your labors are as good as the efforts you put into your garden.

Can you see a parallel in our lives here? There are so many things that we could just let others do. Because of a lack of consistency or a lack of follow through we miss the fruit of labor that is waiting for us.

As Christians, God has placed us in a garden, not a garden of vegetables but a garden of souls.Luke 10:2

The early days of His garden may be fun, it is enjoyable sharing the goodness of Jesus when there is no resistance, but when weeds of resistance spring up, or when the dryness of unfruitfulness appears we get discouraged.  Sometimes we might feel, 'let someone else do it, someone else can do a better job than I'. But Jesus said  "Go Ye"  Matthew 28:18-19 I believe the Great Commission pertains to Christians... all Christians. God knows our abilities and gifts, He gave them.1 Corinthians 12:7 He had a plan and a purpose for each gift so that it would profit the Church. We are not all Billy Grahams, but we all have a place and a ministry if we are a child of God. The problem comes in when there are misuses of the gifts and talents that God gives. Can you imagine trying to plow a 1 acre garden with a hoe while over in the corner sits a rototiller.

In the first 300 years of Christianity, it became the worldwide accepted religion. It was a powerful religion because God was depended upon to give the Church victory.  Today Christianity is probably the largest religion but its power is not what God wants it to be.  ( John 14:12-13 ) Jesus said we would do what He did and greater things yet I believe it will not be us doing it but Jesus according to John 14:13-14.

We as born again Christians have a mandate, we are to use the Spiritual Gifts that God has given us to Glorify God. I enjoy fine things, I enjoy having nice surroundings, but this life is short and then comes eternity. We will have all eternity of glorious living with Jesus, surely we can sacrifice some of  our pampered lifestyle to build up the Body of Christ. I think Paul sums it up pretty good with a couple of verses  Colossians 3:17 and Colossians 3:23-24