Gardens Don’t Grow By Accident

A garden has never suddenly appeared in my yard. I’ve never looked out back on a random Monday and said, “Would you look at that! I’ve got rows of corn growing!”

No tomatoes have ever magically appeared. No peas sprouted, or has a single potato patch been randomly found.

Weeds appear naturally. Gardens do not.

No one accidentally grows a garden in their yard. Gardens grow where people intentionally plant them.

In the lives of our children, worldliness grows naturally. The love and knowledge of God must be cultivated. If we want to see faith grow in their lives, we must intentionally plant it there.

We are responsible for planting the seeds of faith in the lives of the next generation. If we don’t intentionally plant it, we shouldn’t expect it to ever grow.

No pressure there, huh? 

Good news! We’ve got some help. In Deuteronomy 6, God gives us four expert directions on how we can plant the seeds of faith in the next generation.

Deuteronomy 6:4-9

Hear, O Israel! The Lord is our God, the Lord is one! You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. These words, which I am commanding you today, shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your sons and shall talk of them when you sit in your house and when you walk by the way and when you lie down and when you rise up. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand and they shall be as frontals on your forehead. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.

If you want to cultivate that garden of faith in the lives of the next generation, here are four things we can do:

• Commit – In a world where we lack commitment in almost every area of our lives, we have to choose to intentionally and consistently invest in the next generation. The text said, “teach them diligently.” The picture is like that of an engraver who meticulously chisels away at the stone hour after hour. His work pays off only after much effort and toil. There is constant chiseling, and chiseling, and chiseling some more. The good news is, once the engraver etches on the stone, it is there forever. It may get covered up, other things may temporarily hide it, but the message is still there. Writing the ways of the Lord on the lives of our kids takes hard work, consistency, and commitment. It is difficult and you may often feel you are making no impression at all. Don’t give up! Each day you are etching eternal truth into their lives. Though you may not see it, the message is being forever written on their hearts. Just keep chiseling away.
• Talk about it – The ways of the Lord should be a constant part of our conversation. After all, we talk about the things we love. We talk about sports, interests and hobbies, friendships, and more. Choose to have intentional discussions about God in your home. Where do you start? Talk about your faith. Your kids need to hear about what God means to you, even if they meet it with eye rolls. Talk about what they learned in Sunday School or on a Wednesday night at church. Talk about what the pastor said. Just start somewhere! If you’re looking for the right time to do so, Deuteronomy pointed us to the answer. It said to talk about the matters of the Lord pretty much anytime and all the time. The right time is this time.
• Live it out – In the text it says that the commandments of the Lord were to be worn on the forehead and on the hand as a sign. That seems strange to us today, but the principle of “wearing” the commands on our life should be clear. Live out your faith visibly in front of your family. It is not a call to perfection or even the appearance of perfection. We are all sinners. Pretending we don’t struggle creates an unrealistic and unhealthy standard for our kids. Embrace your failures and mistakes. Be honest about your struggles and mess ups. Kids are looking for authenticity. We can give that. In our mistakes, point them to the grace we find in Jesus. Let them see your ongoing walk with God.
• Work together – When it says to write the words on the doorposts and gates, it reminds us that this isn’t a one-man job. We must work together. The doorpost was on the home, reminding us that all of us work together as moms and dads, siblings, grandparents, and others, to pass the faith on to the next generation. Houses back then didn’t have fences and gates on their own. Gates were found on the walls of the community or city. This is a reminder that we are placed in a wonderful community that helps raise the children within its care. God places us together as a community of faith, His church. We are the body of Christ, the family of God. The church partners with the family together etching the truth of Christ on the hearts of the next generation. Churches can’t neglect the family, but families can’t neglect the church either. For the sake of that generation behind us, let the church be a priority in your family’s life. You may have heard it said that you eat an elephant by eating one bite at a time. The impossible task can be accomplished by taking one bite after another. However, unless you’ve got an elephant-sized freezer, you are going to need some help to eat that elephant. Everyone must take a bite!

We are called to pass on our faith to those who are coming behind us. I know that is a tremendously daunting task. Just keep chiseling away. Talk about your faith day by day. Live it out, honestly and imperfectly. Work together within your home, community, and church. Everyone takes a bite. Miss the chance today? Pick up the chisel tomorrow and go to work. Forgot to talk about it? Start a conversation right now. Royally mess up in front of your kids today? Own it, confess it, and use it to point to Jesus’ forgiveness. Trying to do it all on your own? Partner with your church, starting this week.

You can do it!

Just keep planting.