Landscaping

“So throw all spoiled virtue and cancerous evil in the garbage. In simple humility, let our gardener, God, landscape you with the Word, making a salvation-garden of your life.” (James 1:21)

As a person who is captivated by words and word-pictures, I find myself drawn to The Message paraphrase of this verse which likens God to a gardener who will landscape in me a salvation garden. In order to sow some things into my salvation-garden and have them put down firm roots, the Father has to pull other things out of my salvation-garden by the roots. It is not possible for righteousness and wickedness to dwell side by side in my life and have righteousness succeed. Something’s got to give and many things probably have to go. I probably have to take out the trash and fall to my knees. Perhaps it’s time to clean up my yard yet again.

What does it look like for me to accept the word of God with simple humility? To be frank, meekness is not a quality or virtue I hear discussed very much in my day to day life. When I talk to my friends, I typically don’t talk to them about how we are doing with the meekness factor.

Many people in modern society like the idea of being bold, determined, and independent.; people in modern society have a difficult time being submissive, accommodating, adaptable, and self-effacing. Thoughts of God as the gardener in my life bring to mind the phrase, “Surrender don’t come natural to me.” And indeed it doesn’t.

Humble acceptance of who God is and what His word teaches is a growth sequence in my life and the pattern of growth is not always easily measurable or predictable. Some seeds which are planted in me will bear fruit soon after planting has taken place; other seeds may not mature as quickly or may require more nurture before they come to life in any meaningful way.

I like the idea of being pliable, willing, and useful to the Master, but I’m not able to master any of these qualities in my own strength. I need make good use of the strength God provides and approach Him with a child-like faith which trusts Him to complete in me that which I cannot complete in myself.