trbccoffeebreak

“I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.” John 15:5

I’m no horticulturist—I don’t even “do” houseplants. (I will generally do them in if given the responsibility to care for them.) My dear friend Missy, though, she’s a gardening rockstar. In fact, as you walk to her front door from the street, it’s like traversing through a little piece of Eden’s Garden. A stunning quilt of various plant heights, colors, textures, and fragrances.

Although I don’t share Missy’s passion for planting, I am definitely a great “hortappreciatorist”: an appreciator of all-things-cultivated. From intricately designed, other-worldly looking plants along Black Creek near my house, to the distinct aroma of ubiquitous jasmine in our hood, to the juicy-sweet perfection of a freshly picked orange off my neighbor’s tree. (The branches hang over our fence, so those oranges on our side are technically ours, am I right?)

Think about it: Each indescribable color, surprising texture, and glorious flavor is a unique creation of our amazing God—the fruit of His earth. And, as astonishing as our world’s plants, trees, and fruits are, they are products of a fallen world—a world groaning to be renewed and restored to its original, perfect state (Romans 8:20-22). We (and when I say, “we” I mean people like Missy) can perfectly fertilize, weed, water, and prune, but the results—no matter how stunning—will always only be a shadow of what we’ll experience once the new heaven and earth come to fruition.

Now, think about humans—man, woman, infant, elderly. Every one of us is a beautiful, womb-knitted creation of God. Each person’s beautiful shade of melanin, distinctive personality, and awe-inspiring story is a magnificent reflection of God. We are His image-bearers into whom He breathed life, intended to glorify Him. But whether we are far from God or saved and being conformed to Christ, we human beings are walking through a fallen world—a world whose god is our enemy, wanting only to kill, steal, and destroy (John 10:10). And, if we admit it or not, we are all groaning to be renewed and restored to our perfected state (Romans 8:18-19; 23).

Fellow believer, we can—and must—water and fertilize one another toward growth with words of encouragement, grace, and truth…with love in action because He first loved us. But, unlike tending to garden plants, there is only one Source of Life—Jesus, the Vine. It is only in staying connected to Him do we have the right nourishment (the Holy Spirit!) to empower us to bear beautiful fruit (Galatians 5:22-23). And there is One Gardener, God, who will do the necessary and perfect pruning to cultivate who He made us to be (John 15:1-8). (Note: We are NOT the pruners, friend, so let’s watch that scissor-sharp tongue, ready to cut back what we deem as weeds in another’s life.)

Don your gardening gloves! First, let’s introduce our fellow image-bearers to the Master Gardner and connect to our Life-giving Vine, Jesus, by planting seeds of the gospel—decay and death are certain otherwise. Then, let’s fertilize with a combination of truth and love, and water with words and acts of encouragement. We may be privileged to witness some glorious fruit in this life…but we know for sure that when this world and its shadows have passed away, we’ll see clearly the glorious reality of God’s heavenly harvest.

Father God, let me look into the eyes of every image-bearer of You to see the glory of Your creation, seeing them as You see them—sowing seeds of the gospel and watering their spirit with hope and encouragement.

For His Glory,

Julianne Winkler Smith
TRBC Women’s Life