Day One- Production is a Good Thing

Then God said, “Let the land produce vegetation: seed-bearing plants and trees on the land that bear fruit with seed in it, according to their various kinds.” And it was so. The land produced vegetation: plants bearing seed according to their kinds and trees bearing fruit with seed in it according to their kinds. And God saw that it was good”- Genesis 1:11-12
 
I love to- do lists. Being a type-A, goal oriented person, I always make a plan—for my day, for my career, for my life. I often make more than one plan as well, in case things don’t go as planned.  What I love more than making to-do lists, is being able to check off each item on the list. It gives me a great sense of accomplishment when I can check off items on my list. Coming from a hard working home, hard work was not only emphasized, but rewarded. If grades were not as good as they can be, or if I was found slacking off, I was told to find something to do. So work became a part of my identity. 
 
Work was a part of paradise, too. Work is a good thing, according to God. God created a garden, that in it produced various types of vegetation that would not only feed Adam and Eve but every living creature that lived there. Production is a good thing. However if it is used as a badge of honor and a way to define yourself rather than to find your God given purpose, than work is being done for the wrong reason.
 
Just as you have to work to make a living, you have to work to grow in your walk with God. Adam and Eve had to work the garden to make it grow, and you have to work the garden God has given you, too. Thee are many types of vegetation in this garden that will help you to produce: reading God’s word, prayer, other Christians, spiritual disciplines, etc. Some may be more difficult to do than others, but if done with diligence and intentionality, they can produce a crop bigger than you can ever imagine.
 
What is growing in your garden? Are you doing all you can to ensure your garden is growing strong?