Landscape

Last week at my bible study, our teacher reminded us that God has given us everything we need for this life.  He has shaped us and planted in us the character that we need to fulfill the plan that he created us for.  However, we need to leave sin behind us.

I wasn't even out of the parking lot before I sent my husband a text message to share with him the simplicity of this matter.  So often we STRIVE (and i really hate that concept) to be better.  Better planners, better super moms, better doctors, better everything.  But FIRST we MUST evaluate what our sin patterns are.  When those are stripped away the true person that God made is beautifully revealed.  Did you catch that?  It isn't that we shouldn't become better, but it is in the way that we accomplish improvement that makes a big difference:  In our own will, or the opening of our hands, the surrendering of our will.  In the throwing away.

This simple message hit me so hard, because there are many days when I know I need to better.  Take this last weekend for example.  Over the course of Saturday and Sunday I had loaded and unloaded all of my children at 4 different establishments that make a point to sell food to consumers.  Now it was beyond my control that the specific ingredients I was shopping for were unavailable due to their popularity on that particular day.  So now, here it is, Monday morning.  I'm "supposed" to have a plan for the week of what to feed my family, and I don't.  The anxiety and frazzeledness of feeling like I'm not in control still looms before the sun is even up.  And I'm stressing about it.  It is really stupid, I know.  So when i flipped open to James this morning and read the following passage, I was ever so quickly reminded of what our teacher told us this last week.

James 1:19 (the Message)
So throw away all spoiled virtue and cancerous evil in the garbage.  In simple humility, let our gardener, God, landscape you with the Word, making a salvation garden of your life.

Let our gardener, God, landscape you with the word, making a salvation garden of your life.

I love words.  I love the images that come into my mind as adjectives move and change the visuals behind my eyes.  And this verse is no exception.  Did you hear it in there?  Did you SEE it?  What does it look like for you to throw sin into the garbage and be landscaped?  I know what is going into the garbage today: trying to do it all, and the lie that I'm not enough.  And already, I'm seeing something beautiful.

The NIV says the same verse a bit different, of course:
Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you.

I'd like to point out that there is a different tense used in each verse.  The message says "landscape", which I take as work to be done.  The NIV says "planted", which i take as work yet to be accomplished.  But aren't both truth?

What is planted in you?  While knowing that, what lies, deceit and sin need to be PURPOSEFULLY placed into the garbage?  Let God work on you today.  He has made you so beautiful.  A garden is is in the process, all you need to do is rake up the old rubbish.