My mother was the one who introduced me to the world of books.
It was a simpler time back then – our parents left my brother and me at home when they went to work. Being the older of the two, my brother was left under my care and I carried out my task solemnly with all the quiet pride of an eight-year-old. Growing up in Saudi as an expatriate meant there was precious little choice in terms of outdoor games. Most of us grew up in apartments that were (emotionally) sealed off from our neighbors and we were left with finding things to amuse ourselves with indoors. It was this particular circumstance of my childhood, that led me to find shelter from mind-numbing boredom, in books.
It was at a time like this that I came across a story from an unknown author. A man bought a new property and discovered an unkempt garden behind his home. It was a neglected patch of land covered with plants that had been allowed to grow wild. Weeds filled every corner and there were bald patches where the grass had not managed to grow. Unsurprisingly, it was an eyesore to the neighborhood, and everyone who passed by shook their heads and shrugged their shoulders helplessly. After a few days, the man decided to take matters into his own hands and spent a little time tending to that patch of land every day. As the days went by, the garden began to take shape. The weeds were uprooted, the grass mowed, he sowed seeds to cover up the bald patches and even planted some trees and flower bushes. He grew to become very fond of the garden and watered it unfailingly.
The neighbors were very pleased indeed.
One day, a neighbor came over to the garden as the man watered it. Greeting the neighbor, the man said, “Look what a fine garden this has turned out to be. I think I’ve done a pretty fine job.”
“Ah. I think you mean what a fine job God and you did”, the neighbor gently chided.
“Oh, absolutely”, the man replied, “But you should have seen what a mess it was before I began to do my part!”
Although the story makes us chuckle, there’s a very important message behind this simple story. How many areas in our life are a mess because we cannot be bothered to do anything about it? We use the things or the people around us to run away from the reality that God tries to show us. We binge watch Netflix or spend hours scrolling on social media – trying to escape the truth that is staring us in the face. We substitute fleeting pleasures with the great wealth that spiritual discipline offers us. Let us not be guilty of sin by not doing the things we know in our hearts to be right (James 4:17). It is never too late to turn back to God and ask Him to be the master of our life. Proverbs 28:13 says whoever conceals his transgressions will not prosper, but he who confesses and forsakes them will obtain mercy.
It is indeed by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast (Ephesians 2:8 – 9). However, Jesus takes a radical approach to sin. In Matthew 18:8 – 9 He says, if your hand or your foot causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life crippled or lame than with two hands or two feet to be thrown into the eternal fire. And if your eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life with one eye than with two eyes to be thrown into the hell of fire. This leaves us with no doubt about if we can get away with an easy-going approach to sin. When the Holy Spirit shines a light on the dark corners of our hearts, we would do well to sit up and take notice.
But there is hope. There is always hope for those who turn to Jesus. When we find our will weakening and find ourselves slipping into dark and familiar habits, we can cry out to Him. The ever unfailing Father will surely reach out to quickly to pull us out of the mud and mire; set our feet on a rock and gave us a firm place to stand (Psalm 40:2). The Lord is searching the Earth for those who want to do the right thing. That is what the Bible means by righteousness. Often, we lack the desire to do the right thing. That isn’t a surprise to any of us. The flesh left to its own device always wants to do what it pleases. Apostle Paul himself cries out, “For I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my flesh. For the desire to do what is good is with me, but there is no ability to do it” (Romans 7:18).
When we ask the Lord for the desire to do the things that please Him, although it goes against the comfort that we are accustomed to, God works in us, both to will and to work for his good pleasure (Philippians 2:13). Isn’t that remarkable? All we have to do is ask Him for grace to fulfill all the righteous works that He has ordained for us and He will come to our aid. So that is what our part in all of this is – to ask.
We ask unceasingly. Relentlessly. Hopefully. In faith. For this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us. And if we know that he hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests that we have asked of him (1 John 5:14-15).
But what do we do when we don’t feel like asking, you wonder.
When we don’t feel like asking, we ask God for the desire to want to ask. It’s okay if you feel inadequate and a bit dishonest. I feel like that on many days. But then I remember that it isn’t dishonest to let God know that my heart is prone to wander and that my flesh is self-seeking. God is infinitely gracious and understanding. All He desires is for us to want to live wholeheartedly for Him. When He sees those sparks of righteous desire within us, He will start a fire and nurse it into a roaring flame.
Annie Johnson Flint puts it perfectly in her poem ‘He Giveth More Grace’ –
He giveth more grace when the burdens grow greater,
He sendeth more strength when the labors increase;
To added affliction He addeth His mercy;
To multiplied trials, His multiplied peace.
When we have exhausted our store of endurance,
When our strength has failed ere the day is half done,
When we reach the end of our hoarded resources,
Our Father’s full giving is only begun.
Fear not that thy need shall exceed His provision,
Our God ever yearns His resources to share;
Lean hard on the arm everlasting, availing;
The Father both thee and thy load will upbear.
His love has no limit; His grace has no measure.
His pow’r has no boundary known unto men;
For out of His infinite riches in Jesus,
He giveth, and giveth, and giveth again!
So, dear friend, let me encourage you today to look up to Jesus – the author and finisher of our faith (Hebrews 12:2). After all, neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow (1 Corinthians 3:7).
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