One of the secrets of
good gardening is to be an indefatigable enemy of weeds. Preventing their
growth necessitates the stirring of the soil; and the more the soil is stirred,
the better the crop grows and the greater the yield. So with the Christian:the
more sincerely and earnestly he takes sides with God against himself, the more
he will grow; the weeds of his evil nature will not be able to develop, and
this will cause the new nature to have deeper roots, greater growth, richer and
more abundant fruit.
This means, of course,
that such a gardener must be industrious, early and late, against the enemy,
because of his love for the goodly plants that grow in his garden.
And what is the finest
garden of earth compared with the garden of heaven in the believer’s soul? An
earthly garden may be worth having much care and labor bestowed upon it; it may
be worth rising up early and staying up late to tend it; and all this toil, all
this enriching and watering, after all, is but for a short season. What, then, of
this wonderful garden of the soul, whose fragrance and fruit are to abide forever?
Is it not worth-while to cultivate it? Shall we be industrious for what passes
away, and careless and idle for what does not pass away?
Most earthly gardeners enjoy
their labor. They are happy in their toil, even before fruit-time comes.
Just so, is there not holy joy in all our Christian labor and exercises of
soul? Can we fall on our knees in supplication about this or that temptation,
fear, need, or service without rising up again comforted and blessed? Does not
every victory over ourselves and our circumstances make us sing and praise the
grace of our great High Priest, and increase our acquaintance with God? And is
not this, of itself, true bliss?
May the Lord break up all
our slothfulness of heart, all our apathy concerning sin—not sin in our
brother, but sin in ourself! We can easily be fierce against the mote in
our brother’s eye while blind to the beam in our own.
May He also break up all
self-complacency, for there is no weed more destructive in the garden of the
soul. We are so proper, so faultless, so free from what would mar the lofty
opinion which our fellows have of us, that we can scarcely realize our
incessant dependence on Him who is at the right hand of God, making
intercession for us.
Let all weeds be rooted
out, that Christ, Christ alone, Christ our righteousness, our sanctification,
our redemption, may stand before the soul as our all. Thus will our individual
souls flourish, and practical unity will be with love, holiness, and power.
(From Help and Food,
Vol. 45.)