“Don’t pray when you feel like it. Have an appointment with the Lord and keep it. A man is powerful on his knees.” – Corrie Ten Boom
A few years ago, I discovered my passion for gardening. I dug up the ground in our garden in Austria and planted all kinds of fruit trees and flowering bushes. Every other evening, for as long as we lived there, it rained. We had very rare spells of dry weather when we would have to water the grass and plants ourselves. As a result of such a conducive environment, our garden boasted of a riot of colours the following spring. The roses hung low and heavy, the clematis reached for the highest branch, it was just an explosion of vibrancy all around.
During the winter of that year, we packed our bags and came back home to India for good. Since we live in an apartment here, I only have a balcony to work with. I chose to go big in a small space. I bought eight pots of bougainvillaea – a show stopper of a flower. It made a big statement in a small space and the bright pink hues caught the eye of every passer-by.
However, since our balcony is covered, I have to water it every day. I did it consistently for a while and then I tired of it. It was always in bloom and I pushed my luck. I ignored it for a couple of days, became erratic in my watering and failed to apply fertilisers.
The plants seemed hardy and I was slacking in my gardening duties so I decided to hand over the responsibility to my maid. She watered it whenever I reminded her. To my shame, I often forgot to remind her and pretty soon, it began to show. First, the leaves withered, then the stem started to look sickly, and finally, the flowers fell off.
As I sit writing at my desk, I am faced with the sight of eight sickly-looking bougainvillaea plants in their pots – damning evidence of my lack of consistency. The act of watering isn’t a very exciting activity. It is easy to put off doing it – the effect isn’t immediate. No plant withers away or bursts into blossom right away. But as I have painfully learnt, taking that simple activity for granted has serious implications.
I came across an interesting analogy last week that compared our spiritual lives to the act of having a meal. Not every meal we have is noteworthy. Some are forgotten even as we leave the table. Others are remarkable and can be remembered many years down the line. However, both help nourish us. And although the groundbreaking meals are certainly appreciated, it is the simple, unadventurous meals we have daily that help sustain us.
Our inner man also needs certain “simple” and repetitive acts to grow.
I am sure most of us wish we were more consistent in our walk with God. Many of us are guilty of only spending time with god when we “feel like it” or when we need Him. As the saying goes, the best time to plant a tree would have been ten years ago. The next best time is today. Don’t let feelings of condemnation and hopelessness take precedence over God’s promises for your life.
Most days when I read the Bible, I am not met with revolutionary ideas. The discoveries and epiphanies do not come to me like a never-ending stream. It is usually a time of simply reading my portion for that day and asking God to speak to me. If we keep depending on mind-blowing, earth-shattering experiences to keep us motivated to feed on the Word each day, we are setting ourselves up for failure.
A much-loved song by Jonathan McReynolds comes to mind:
I find space for what I treasure
And I make time for what I want
I choose my priorities and
Jesus, You’re my number one
So I will make room for You
I will prepare for two
So You don’t feel that You
Can’t live here, please live in me
“Brother, when you rise in the morning, your business so urgent, that with a hurried word or two of prayer, out you go into the world; and at night, worn out and tired, you give God the meager leftovers of the day – the consequence is that you have no communion with Him. The reason we do not have more true Christianity among us now is because we do not have more secret prayer.” (Charles Spurgeon)
Simple acts of obedience can make an extraordinary difference. We must never make obedience an option. Discipline is imperative for a Christian to grow. Holy habits build a holy character. A holy character makes for a holy man. Determined obedience to God is such a beautiful love language. What better way to tell Him that you are serious about your relationship with Him? The language of love is sacrifice. Does it not paint a picture of utter devotion when you sacrifice things that make the self comfortable?
Go now. With the strength you have, show God daily just how much you love Him.
1 comment
Thanks for sharing honestly. “Watering” is true for any relationship and especially the one we have with God.
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