It may seem a bit early in the year to mention a garden, but those who plant and cultivate the soil to bring forth new life know that there is work and planning to do in every season. When it comes to tending the thoughts and feelings that we allow to take root in our minds and hearts, the cycle of planting, nurturing, and harvesting is ongoing- whether we consciously realize it or not.

I have been blessed to live my entire life in a series of rural communities that depend heavily on agriculture. My neighbors and I know what it is like to form a line of traffic behind tractors and planters throughout the work of springtime and then combines and cotton pickers during harvest of the fall. Even in our modern, fast-paced world, the rhythms of our lives are tied to the seasonal changes that impact the land and the folks who work it faithfully. Whether we ourselves are directly employed in agriculture or not, all of us should come to see that our food, clothing, and fuel are all connected to it- not only by local farms, but by the economic and environmental forces tied to farming around the world.

Simply stated, what we plant and harvest affects us all.

This reality is evident in physical farming, but it is just as true when it comes to spiritual matters.

In Hebrews 12, the writer says that encouraging one another is a vital part of the Christian experience. We are to pursue unity and peace, so we can live into the grace of God and receive the fullness of His promised blessings. We are to seek holiness and wholeness as God’s people- both individually and collectively. Why are we told to do these things? We are to actively seek to live together in grace and peace, “…lest any root of bitterness springing up cause trouble…” (Heb 12:15).

When I fail to tend the inner garden of my heart, and instead dwell on the shortcomings of others or the mistakes of my past, the root of bitterness begins to form in my thoughts, words, and actions. If unchecked, this poisonous plant continues to spread, grow, and strengthen within me.

You may have witnessed a once-cultivated field that has been left fallow and untended for a time. Almost overnight, weeds and grass will appear, then brush and saplings, and soon larger trees and invasive plants like kudzu and spreading vines will overtake the entire area. Despite decades of care, it takes a comparatively short time for that natural wildness to return and dominate once more.

Our hearts are no different.

Unless I am willing to daily examine my life and remove the dangers seeking to grow there, my faith will soon be overtaken by a growing tangle of negativity, bitterness, and self-focus. As these spiritual weeds grow up unchecked, they become so thick and abounding that it becomes far more difficult to remove them without causing severe damage to the fruitful aspects of my life (Mt 13:24-30). Sometimes we cannot see how much our own lives have been overtaken, and we need the caring counsel and encouragement of faithful friends to restore us (Gal 6:1-5). In the same way our local farmers rally to help when a neighbor is struggling to finish the harvest due to sickness or bad weather, we all need fellow believers to gather around us to support and lend a hand in when we face hard times spiritually (Rom 12:15).

Just as it is far easier to uproot a tender tomato plant than a century-old oak, we must recognize that removing negative attitudes and actions is much more easily done before they can take a firm hold in our lives.

“Old habits die hard” is a proven proverb, and so it benefits us and the people we love to deal with our sins and shortcomings before the roots deepen.

If we tend our garden faithfully, our opportunities for fruitfulness in God’s kingdom will grow, and our lives will have the spiritual space to flourish and impact others for God’s glory.