Faith Garden

Choosing and Planting the Right Seeds

This month we have been talking about the gardening season. We are learning how to cultivate and grow a garden that will produce healthy veggies for us to consume. This takes time and a willingness to be patient as things grow. This is much the same for our spiritual gardens. We have to be willing to invest the time to prepare the soil, plant the seed, tend the garden, and walk in patience as it grows.

So be patient, brothers and sisters, until the Lord’s return. Think of how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the ground and is patient for it until it receives the early and late rains. James 5:7, NET

The soil is where it begins. Once we have the soil prepped and ready, we can then start placing the seeds. For the most part, this is not too tedious, but we don’t just want to throw the seeds haphazardly into the garden soil. We should take time to plan which seeds will work best next to other seeds. Some plants can choke out others if they are placed too close. So it is wise to be sure we have planted the seeds according to the instructions.

He took one of the seedlings of the land, placed it in a cultivated plot; a shoot by abundant water, like a willow he planted it. Ezekiel 17:5, NET

When it comes to spiritual growth, we should be aware of the seeds we are planting. We don’t want to take a seed that is rotting or unhealthy and plant it in our hearts. We need to choose the right seeds.

I am not talking about which translation of the Bible is used. This is about the goodness that we allow to soak in our hearts, soul, mind, and spirit. Even though sometimes it doesn’t feel like we choose the seed, we will always have a choice as to what we cultivate in our gardens.

What Seeds Do We Choose?

When it comes to a garden, we always plant the things we love to consume such as tomatoes, squash, cucumbers, onions, potatoes, peppers, and watermelon. This is not the exhaustive list of what we love to grow in our gardens. We plant what WE want to taste!

But what about the stuff that is good for us and we don’t plant because they taste horrid? For instance, turnips, beets, radishes, cabbage, spinach, and eggplant. We get picky about what we grow because WE don’t want them.

For those who live according to the flesh have their outlook shaped by the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit have their outlook shaped by the things of the Spirit. Romans 8:5, NET

We don’t always like the things that are good for us. Spiritually it can be the same way. We don’t care for growing patience. It can be hard and we don’t like the waiting. But, we know that in the end, patience is good for us, especially when it comes to helping others.

We also tend to shy away from planting the best seeds of love. Sure, we plant some, but they are the hybrid seeds that we have created. It’s a seed of love that says, “I will love the ones who meet my agenda.” This is a seed that can grow and choke out all of the good seeds that we plant. This is a fruit that will whither and die because it is not a true seed of God.

Where Do We Get Our Seeds?

Once we decide what we are planting then comes the time to decide where we are going to get our seeds. Do we get them from the cheapest place or do we get them from the reputable place that only sells organic seeds that have come from years of cultivating and harvesting?

We can go just about anywhere and grab a package of seeds that may or may not contain seeds that are healthy and desirable. But when it comes to organic seeds, we don’t find them just everywhere. Sure, they are easily available, but not as easy as the other seeds.

Something to consider is whether or not the seeds are local. Are these seeds that have come from areas that have the same growing characteristics as our soil? In other words, will they acclimate to our soil?

Do not be deceived. God will not be made a fool. For a person will reap what he sows, Galatians 6:7, NET

If we sow bad seeds then we will more than likely harvest bad vegetables. This is the same for our spiritual faith. If we sow seeds that are diseased then we will reap diseased fruit. When a fruit/vegetable is rotten, it does not give the nutrients that are needed, plus it simply tastes awful.

Our spiritual seeds come from God’s word. (Although in the Bible it is presented as fruit instead of vegetables.. but it’s the same process)Whether we are reading it for ourselves or listening to others preach and teach, we are given seeds. We have to especially be aware of the seeds we get from others. There are people who give us bad seeds in the form of things like, gossip, false teaching, the judgment of others, and other behaviors that do not line up with God’s word. These seeds can and will produce the same thing as us if we aren’t careful to take them out of our garden area.

The best place to get seeds is from the Word. These are organic and have been proven to be exactly the seeds we need to grow right where we are. God’s word is the most organic form of spiritual seeds that we can ever hope to sow. These will continue to produce generational (heirloom) seeds that will produce fruit just like the original vegetable from the very first harvest.

The godly grow like a palm tree; they grow high like a cedar in Lebanon. Planted in the Lord’s house, they grow in the courts of our God. They bear fruit even when they are old; they are filled with vitality and have many leaves.So they proclaim that the Lord, my protector, is just and never unfair. Psalm 92:12-15, NET

In God’s word, we hear a lot about fruit. It is the same principle as the vegetable growing.

The Planting Process

Once we have decided on what we MUST have in the garden, it’s time to plant. This is not done by just throwing the seeds and walking away. When we do this.. the seed remains uncovered. Birds and small animals will come along and eat that seed. Then we are without the vegetable in our garden.

“A sower went out to sow his seed. And as he sowed, some fell along the path and was trampled on, and the wild birds devoured it” Luke 8:5, NET

Should the seed be left, it still wouldn’t survive because it wouldn’t have the ability to produce a root system. Without the roots, there is no way to get the nutrients from the soil and water.

“Other seed fell on rocky ground where it did not have much soil. It sprang up at once because the soil was not deep.” Mark 4:5, NET

We have to be sure our seed is planted in the soil and covered so that it grows a root system. It needs this connection in order to grow and produce the healthy vegetable.

Spiritually, we must always be sure that we are taking God’s word and placing it within our spirit, soul, and mind. We must hear what God is saying, receive it in our spirits, meditate on it, and apply it to our lives. This will give us the ability to produce the desirable fruit.

“But as for the seed sown on good soil, this is the person who hears the word and understands. He bears fruit, yielding a hundred, sixty, or thirty times what was sown.” Matthew 13:23, NET

Taking time to plant the seed and cover it up will result in a garden that produces more than it would if the seeds were just thrown onto the ground.

As the garden grows, there will be weeds that pop up here and there. We should be ready to take care of the weeds that we can pluck out without harming the other plants. But there could be times when pulling that weed will kill the plant. With some plants, it is best to leave the weed until after harvest.

Spiritually, this will happen when it comes time to remove the “false” wheat from the true wheat. When it comes time, God will separate the wheat from the tares and destroy the tares.

“Let both grow together until the harvest. At harvest time I will tell the reapers, “First collect the weeds and tie them in bundles to be burned, but then gather the wheat into my barn.”’” Matthew 13:30, NET

This is why we must grow the true organic fruit of the Spirit.

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Galatians 5:22, NET