God’s Garden
Our family decided to start a garden last year. Thoughts of fresh fruit and veggies, a fun homeschool project for our kids, and saving a few dollars at the grocery store were too good to pass up. Four garden boxes and a greenhouse later, we were on our way to self-sustainability—or so we thought.
It turns out that gardens are a lot of work for very little immediate return. And as the initial excitement waned, so did our motivation to regularly care for our new project in the blazing hot Florida sun.
However, despite a difficult first year and a not-so-green thumb, I began to understand why Scripture uses so many gardening metaphors: sowing seeds, pulling weeds, pruning vines, watering vineyards, and harvesting fields to name a few. The agricultural process is an incredible picture of how God ordered things in creation—both natural and supernatural.
In 1 Corinthians 3:5-8, Paul uses his own gardening metaphor to describe the various roles or voices that contribute to spiritual growth.
5 What, after all, is Apollos? And what is Paul? Only servants, through whom you came to believe—as the Lord has assigned to each his task. 6 I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God has been making it grow. 7 So neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow. 8 The one who plants and the one who waters have one purpose, and they will each be rewarded according to their own labor.
In our family, we have developed a sort of rhythm when it comes to the garden. My wife knows all the ins and outs of planting seeds. Don’t ask me to do it, because I have no idea what produce belongs in what season, sun exposure, or climate. However, I’m a pretty good waterer. I can push a button and hydrate some plants like an absolute champ. Finally, our kids have become masters at identifying the perfect moment to harvest strawberries, green beans, or snap peas—and most of it even makes it inside!
Much like Paul expresses in his letter to the Corinthians, each member of our family plays a different role in the gardening process, but no one can look at a plate full of delicious homegrown tomatoes and claim, “I did that all by myself.” Rather, we come together to enjoy the literal fruit of our collective effort.
In my younger years, I would often become jealous of the gifts of others. I’m not necessarily talking about the spiritual gifts we see in 1 Corinthians 12, but the simple gifts of planting, watering, and harvesting. I am a waterer, both in our garden and in the Kingdom of God. For whatever reason, I typically find myself reiterating or teaching the gospel to people who have heard it but might not be ready to surrender to Christ.
Sometimes I wish I was a planter like the famous evangelist, Ray Comfort. Ray excels at introducing others to Jesus for the first time. Like my wife in the garden, he is a master planter. Others seem to harvest or lead others to Christ so naturally. Not because of their human ability to “close the deal,” but because God uses them in that way.
I used to get frustrated, not feeling the rush of first-time evangelism or seeing others begin a life with Christ, but then I started gardening and realized that my calling to faithfully water is a beautiful thing and a key part of the growth process.
Does this mean I never plant or harvest? No. Simply that my personal obedience to God’s call has led me to situations that require someone to push a button and hydrate some plants.
Finally, don’t miss the most important part of Paul’s words to the Corinthians. Apollos may have planted, and Paul may be an expert waterer, but God is the one who makes things grow. My wife can plant all day, I can water faithfully, and my kids can harvest delicious produce, but none of it works without a good God who designed it that way.
We play a part in God’s mission, but we don’t change hearts—He does. God has chosen to use human beings to spread His message and introduce people to Him, but we can rest in the truth that His mission is not all on our shoulders. We are called to be faithful, celebrate the gifts of others, and trust that God will make the garden grow.