You have likely heard the idea that your spiritual life is like a garden; if you do not tend to it regularly the weeds will take over.

It starts slowly, and may even happen unconsciously. You skip weeding (devotional time) one day because there is a torrential downpour of chaos on your life. Your mind is preoccupied with handling the chaotic issue. A week goes by and still you have not been able to return to your garden. Weeds of life begin to bud in your garden. You recognize them, but think you will take care of them tomorrow. Before we can blink, tomorrow turns into another week and the weeds begin to strangle our plants and stunt the growth of fruit.

There is an enormous and glorious difference between a real garden and the garden of our spiritual life. In a real garden, those weeds will likely suck up all the nutrients in the soil and strangle the life from the fruit producing plants; completely destroying our garden. This is not so with God’s garden.

We are blessed that He is a Master Gardener that can bring life back to us, the fruit bearing plants, even when there appears to be no life left. God is the ultimate Miracle Grow! He not only revives a plant when it has been unattended for a short time, but also revives those that have been left unattended for long periods of time.

We all have times in our lives when life issues (weeds) begin to sprout and then take over our lives without us meaning for that to occur. When we recognize that this has happened we need not spend more time struggling to figure out how to revive ourselves and bear fruit. Instead, we only need to bring ourselves before God and ask for His intervention and allow Him to revive us. I cannot count how many times I have hit a spiritual stagnation throughout my life. There have been times when I allowed my priorities to get out of whack and put my relationship with God in second, third, fourth place…or further down the list. As soon as I recognize that this has occurred, I pray for His help and guidance to turn it around, because I know I cannot do it on my own.

Philippians 4:13 (“I can do all things through Christ who strengthens”) is a popular verse for meditation. Typically we think of this verse when we are facing adversities. The importance of this verse does not lie in the fact that something can be accomplished. What comes shining through is the fact that it is God who does the work in our lives. We must do our part and invite Him in and then follow in obedience, but when we fall away all we need do is call on Him and we are back on track. So, all those weeds that begin to grow and are at the point of strangling us can be zapped on command, if we only ask. This doesn’t mean that conflict will be immediately eliminated from our lives; it is merely the starting point for God to come in and pull those weeds one by one.

We can further our faith that He is a committed Master Gardener when we study 2 Timothy 4:17 (“But the Lord stood at my side and gave me strength, so that through me the message might be fully proclaimed and all the Gentiles might hear it. And I was delivered from the lion’s mouth.”) How encouraging that we know God will not only be with us, but that He provides us the strength we need to be a testimony to His divine power. Our lives are a living testimony to His greatness.

In addition to the miracle growth in our own lives, we are a living example to those around us. Our spouses, children, families, and friends will all see our fruit ripening because we have taken the time to care for our spiritual garden and have recognized that we do not have a perfect green thumb at all times. Allowing Him to weed our garden when we have let the weeds to grow is a perfect testament to those around us. People begin to see our lives not only as living example of reality in God, but that we are not easily defeated when we neglect our gardens. As mothers we often feel pressured to be perfect without realizing that being supermom offers a false testimony to those around us. We serve others by being approachable, not judging, and allowing God to ripen our fruit by weeding our inequities. Whatever state your garden is in today, call on the Master Gardener and he will produce prize winning fruit within you.

Leslie Valeska is the wife of Thomas and homeschooling mother of four children who reside in SW Florida. Her family operates Fresh Gear Solutions, LLC and enjoys RVing. She is the founder and director of Simple Journey Ministries which was established to encourage, inspire, and support women on their journey to Godly womanhood. Leslie is also employed as a vintage seamstress by Vintage Vixen.