Worldly Leader vs Biblical Leader

I never asked for a garden. It did make me think on some Biblical principals while I was weeding it.

First, weeds spring up. Anywhere. Anytime. It doesn't matter how nice it looked before and what precautions were in place. They creep.

Second, if you do do something about the weeds that spring up they will grow....and grow.....and grow.

In the Parable of the Sower, "Other seeds fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants." (Matthew 13:7). While the seeds that fell on good soil "...produced a crop - a hundred, sixty, or thirty times what was sown." (13:8). 

Can thorny patches be weeded? Can they become better soil, so the seeds will grow? 

"The seed falling among thorns refers to someone who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke the word, making it unfruitful." (Matthew 13:22). 

Worries certainly feel like weeds. Whenever one is taking care of, something else likes to pop up and take it's place. 

My weeding was part necessity and part inspired by Carrie worrying about getting the house in order before her parents visited. Hopefully, the inspiration was more from a desire to show love than a fear of human judgement! (Proverbs 29:25, 2 Timothy 1:7). 

And even if all the weeds are gone, nature abhors a void. "When an impure spirit comes out of a person, it goes through arid places seeking rest and does not find it. Then it says, 'I will return to the house I left.' When it arrives, it finds the house unoccupied, swept clean and put in order. Then it goes and takes seven other spirits more wicked than itself, and they go and live there." (Matthew 12:43-45). 

In the gardens case, there's what was planted. But in a heart's case? 

These are some of the things I pondered while sweating away. Quiet, menial work can be good for the soul.

The other theme that filled my thoughts as I worked was being a leader. I want to be a good leader of my family.

From a worldy sense, running around all day doing all the dirty work weeding and shoveling poop is far from glorious. The world views leaders as people who make important decisions and tell other people what to do. Worldly leaders gain power, earn accolades, and demand respect. 

Jesus gives a very different example. He has power, is at peace, and washes his disciples' feet. "Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you should also wash one another's feet. I have set for you an example that you should do as I have done for you. Very truly I tell you, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than one who sent him. Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them." (John 13:12-15).

I feel like a large part of my job as a leader of my household is to serve the members in it. To prepare the soil around them, so that their seed can grow into what it was meant to become. If that means using my work break to weed the front for Carrie, or to give up my chance at time on the computer when Shane's earned a reward then that's what it means.

It does feel good to accomplish something. In many ways the work puts my heart in a better place. "And he who waters will himself be watered." (Proverbs 11:25). 

I thought about writing this blog the day I was weeding. Sadly, I didn't. Instead, it became something of a block. I wanted to write it before I moved on and since I didn't write it the blog never moved on!

Sometimes I find it intimidating to write out my thoughts with Biblical references. My feelings? No problem. But the Bible is Truth and I don't want to treat it lightly. 

Which is not a reason to avoid doing it. If anything, I should do it more often. 

I could go back, revise, make more connections, quote more verses, and revise again in an endless cycle until the process became another block. However, we're asked to step out on faith and trust that one greater than us has a plan in place.

Which in some regards, is a fancy way of saying, "click Publish, Mike."