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PROGRAM D-7800
Are you making sure your garden of life is properly planted? In order to be a healthy, growing Christian who is bringing glory to God, you need these things in your garden:
- Three rows of “peas”: peace of soul, peace of mind, and peace of heart.
- Three rows of “squash”: squash gossip, squash indifference, and squash selfishness.
- Three rows of “lettuce”: let us be faithful, let us be pure, and let us love one another.
- Three rows of “turnips”: turn up with a smile, turn up at church, and turn up with excellence.
To conclude our garden, you also need a special spice and that is “thyme”: time for God, time for family and time for fun.
“Thyme” for God. Jesus said, “Seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well” (Matthew 6:33). This is the key to balance and proper priorities in our lives. It is so simple, but so profound. God must have first place in our lives, and that means we must give him time each day: time for his Word, for prayer, and for personal one-on-one time with him.
“Thyme” for family. In our busy worlds, often we neglect those closest to us. We may be working to provide for our family, but our family needs time with us. Sometimes we have to carve out this family time and make it happen. It may mean turning off televisions or slowing down our pace, but we need to make time for family.
“Thyme” for fun. God created us with a need for laughter, fun, and rest. We have to make time for these things in order to have a truly balanced garden.
With all these things planted in your garden, you will need to water freely with patience and cultivate with love. Then you will bear much fruit! Jesus said, “If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit. . . . This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples” (John 15:5,8).
Then, as Peter wrote, you will “grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and forever! Amen” (2 Peter 3:18).
To download a set of cards, click here.How-Does-Your-Garden-PDF-Lowman