“The LORD will guide you continually, and satisfy your soul in drought, and strengthen your bones; you shall be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water, whose waters do not fail.” (Isaiah 58:11, NKJV).
Spring is a time of anticipation and rebirth. After the cold of winter months, watching the days transform themselves into the brightness of Spring makes me happy. Yes, there will still be dreary days of cold rains, but there are also “teaser days” of sunshine and warmth. I feel the promise of budding new life.
On those warm days in late March and early April, it is all I can do to restrain myself from dashing to the nursery and filling my car with pots of spring flowers. However, I’ve lived in this climate long enough to know we still have some harsh days ahead. Those young plants will be destroyed if placed outside too soon. They need the protection of the greenhouse a while longer. But then comes the warm days of May!
The plants at our local nursery come in plastic container trays or small pots. They spent the winter months in a controlled environment, protected from the harshness of the weather, while they grew from seed. When I bring them home, I see their potential for beauty—that small bloom in its tiny space—but their roots are crowded in these starter pots. I must transplant them into the proper setting and soil so their roots can reach deep and grow. If kept in small plastic containers, they will eventually die. There is no space to develop.
The wise gardener knows that not every plant is suitable for every location in the garden. Some are shade plants while others need full sun. Each type of flower has certain soil and water requirements. Because the gardener knows what is essential for each one, he places them tenderly where they will thrive and achieve their full beauty. God does the same with us. God, the Master Gardener, lovingly cares for us. He sees our potential for beauty and knows the best place to plant us so our roots will grow deep.
We might think it easier to remain inside the shelter and safety of the greenhouse. At the right time, however, God will lift us from our small plastic container and plant us outside. Outside we may endure wind, heavy rain, and damaging insects. Weeds may try to choke us. But the Master Gardener knows that it is only in the rich earth and sunshine that we will reach our full potential and show our beauty.
Some flowers are bright and splashy while others appear reserved. There’s not as much “show” to them, but they add dimension and color and make the garden attractive. Their different shades, sizes, and shapes create beauty and balance. They complement each other.
God has a place of ministry for each of us. He knows our characteristics and where we fit best. Some areas of service are in public view—the “platform people” such as singers, musicians, and speakers. While others may not have as much splash and color, the beauty of the garden is incomplete without its prayer warriors, nursery workers, encouragers, and those who visit the sick and homebound. Each person in the body of Christ complements all the others when filling the place God desires for them.
“So we, being many, are one body in Christ, and individually members of one another” (Romans 12:5, NKJV).
Remember, to complement (complete) others is greater than seeking the compliments (praise) of others.
“We say—God intends me to be here because I am so useful. Jesus never estimated His life along the line of the greatest use. God puts His saints where they will glorify Him, and we are no judges at all of where that is.”
—Oswald Chambers
Lord, plant me where I can best be used for Your glory and complement my brothers and sisters as they minister for You in their chosen place. You know where each of us will grow and thrive.
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