How Does Your Garden Grow?

One spring, I took a new route through our neighborhood and caught a glimpse of a man hard at work in his glorious flower garden. I’ve often looked at other people’s flowers and secretly wished for my own lush display. However, the glimpse of this man with his hands digging deep into the earth brought a new revelation. He had a garden because he invested time and energy in cultivating it. He didn’t wish it into being. He didn’t hope it into being. He didn’t just wake up one day and find that a garden of glorious blooms had miraculously popped up from the dirt.

No. He had a goal. He had a plan. He worked at it. He sacrificed for it. It took intentionality, sweat equity, determination, and consistency. And it took time and patience before he ever saw any fruit from his labor. But eventually, there was a bloom … and then another … and then another.

I saw this man’s flowers and wished for my own—without a clue about all the work that had gone into producing them. I wanted the flowers, but not the work. Isn’t that the way it is with many things in life? We want the results, but have no idea where to start or how much work will be required.

In addition to wishing for a garden, I also spent many years wishing for a thinner body. I had lost weight before, but I couldn’t keep it off for any extended time. I was lax about actually changing what I ate, and I excused away the necessary discipline. Then I’d catch myself wishing I were thinner and making excuses about my age and metabolism, decrying the unfairness of my genetic disposition, blah, blah, blah. My changes were based more on wishful thinking than action. They were also always temporary; therefore my results were also temporary.

Consider these verses in the book of Proverbs, God’s gift of wisdom and practical guidance to his people:

The plans of the diligent lead to profit as surely as haste leads to poverty. (21:5)

Commit to the LORD whatever you do, and he will establish your plans. (16:3)

When it comes to personal growth in how we care for our health, we need to move beyond wishful thinking. Consider the demands of your daily life and choose a healthy eating plan with reasonable goals based on sound medical advice. Commit your actions—your eating plan and food choices—to the Lord. Then you will reap results not just on the outside, but inside your heart where joy and peace will take root and blossom.