Let Us Plant "The Garden Of Behavior"

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Throughout my high school years, My father and I used to prepare and plant a garden every year. It contained all kinds of vegetables such as, squash, corn, okra, carrots, potatoes, green beans and tomatoes. After those plants were fully grown, we would gather the produce and employ the canning process, in order to have vegetables throughout the rest of the year.

As Christians, there’s another kind of garden we need to plant at the beginning of every New Year, and that’s "The Garden of Behavior." This garden should contain, at a minimum, the following rows of behavioral characteristics:

1) Five rows of Peas — Politeness (Matthew 7:12), Preparedness (Matthew 25:1-13), Persistence (Luke 18:1-8), Perseverance (2 Timothy 4:6-8), and Prayer (1 Thessalonians 5:17; cf. 1 Thessalonians 2:13).

2) Five rows of Lettuce — “Let us” be unselfish (Matthew 16:34; cf. Acts 2:44-45); “Let us” be dedicated to spreading the gospel of Christ (Matthew 28:19-20; Mark 16:15-16); “Let us” be truthful with one another (Ephesians 4:25); “Let us” love one another (1 John 4:10-12); “Let us” be kind to one another (Ephesians 4:32).

3) Five rows of Squash — “Squash” any gossip (Titus 2:3); “Squash” any hatred (1 John 2:10-11; 1 John 4:20; cf. Leviticus 19:17); “Squash” any indifference (1 Corinthians 5); “Squash” any false teaching (Titus 1:9-11; 2 John 1:9-11); “Squash” any evil thoughts (Genesis 6:5; Mark 7:20-23; 2 Corinthians 10:5).

4) Four rows of Turnips — “Turn up” our study of God’s word (2 Timothy 2:15); “Turn up” for the church assembly (Hebrews 10:24-25); “Turn up” our zeal in doing the Lord‘s work (1 Corinthians 15:58); “Turn up” our mission efforts (Acts 5:42; Acts 8:4).

5) One row of Spinach — “Spin”ach off the “Spin” of the “Spin Doctor” (John 8:44; John 10:10; 1 Peter 5:8).

Dear reader, instead of putting the produce of this garden in cans, let us put this produce in our hearts and minds, so that not only we can reap the benefits of this garden throughout the year, but others can share in those benefits as well by our godly behavior (1 Timothy 4:7-8).

—Mike Riley, Gospel Snippets

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