How Are Your Gardens? By Bryan Craig

"Know well the condition of your flocks, and give attention to your herds, for riches do not last forever; and does a crown endure to all generations?”  Proverbs 27:23-24 (ESV)

A few years ago, I was contemplating the growth of this “organism” called Influencers, wondering what we needed to do to keep up with it.  My organizational mind went to corporate structure models and a consideration of making some sort of change.  As I started to pursue this thought, the Lord lovingly redirected me.  He reminded me of John 15, our mission verse…. “If you abide in Me, you will bear much fruit.”  Our job is not to control as we lead.  Our job is to Abide and then, let our influence come out of our abiding.  He gave me the picture as one big vineyard, coming out of the Vine, Jesus.  All these branches that God has created, some of which have sprouted from another branch, all can tie back to Jesus and Abiding in Him.  They all have uniqueness and differing levels of fruit production and different needs, and it is important that they stay connected to the Vine and to each other.

This clicked with me, and I hope it does with you.  At first, I thought the Global Office, was a Branch, as well.  But He communicated to me that our job was to be “Assistant to the Gardener.”  Father Gardener is always working and tending to this big garden we call Influencers.  He wants us to pay attention to our Branches to see if they need watering, fertilizing, even pruning, so they can bear the fruit He intends.  We need to make sure they are connected to the Vine and not withering.  It truly is a sacred responsibility, but we are really just joining Him in His work.

Recently, I took this analogy and thought about my life.  I’ve been placed in many gardens.  There is my family.  There is my extended family.  There is my church.  There is my neighborhood.  There is my workplace.  There is my friend network.  There is my workout group.  You get the idea.

I feel it’s no less of a sacred responsibility to be an “Assistant to the Gardener” in all of those gardens as well.  How can I help those gardens grow and be healthy?  It starts with my own connection to the Vine.  I must stay close to Him, so His nutrients and His will can permeate me through His Spirit.  Then, I need to ask The Gardener which garden needs attention.  He will show me.  And then I ask Him what they need.  Oftentimes, they may need something I cannot provide.  But as I think of how to tend to my gardens, I need to consider my spiritual gifts and how God might use those, through me, to help.

Does anyone in my gardens need the fertilizer of God’s Word?  God used Rocky’s analogy of the Banquet Table and becoming a self-feeder with me in regards to others.  I am a self-feeder but others in my gardens may not be.  He told me to help feed them until they can feed themselves.  This looks like sending a little Scripture via text with a thought or question.  Or bringing God’s Word into a conversation and applying it to real life.  Or being the Living Word in a way that makes them hungry for God’s Word.

Does anyone in my gardens need Water?  The Living Water, the Holy Spirit, will help bear the fruit in their branch.  I can pray for them as often as the Spirit brings them to mind.  It also helps to let people know I am praying for them.  I also need to exercise my spiritual gifts so they will begin to see what the Spirit looks like so they can know Him. 

Does anyone need pruning, discipline?  This is a much harder task, but sometimes a garden gets overrun with weeds, rocks, thorns, varmints and sometimes the person does not even realize it.  The verse above in Proverbs talks about keeping close watch on those who are entrusted to you.  In the same chapter in Proverbs, verse 6, you find this verse:

Faithful are the wounds of a friend; profuse are the kisses of an enemy.

This one is difficult for me, to be honest, but I know it’s necessary.  If I’m really being a friend and an assistant to the Gardener, He may want me to speak some truth in love to those I care about.

Being an Assistant to the Gardener is not an easy job, but one which requires daily attention and care.  The Gardener does the heavy lifting, but He wants to use us in certain ways.  But as we get our hands dirty in the Garden, we bring Father Gardener much pleasure because we are helping to bring Him what He desires…much FRUIT and FRUIT THAT LASTS.