It is that time of year when folks are spring cleaning, getting their houses and yards looking good for summer. Some are even zealous enough to plant vegetable gardens in hopes of enjoying the fruit of their labor at some point during the summer. I am not much of a gardener but I do fertilize my lawn, and its looking nice and green (it always does this time of year). Some people I know actually put real cow manure on their lawns to make them healthy and green. I am not much of a farmer but it is common knowledge that manure makes crops grow. The food we eat is nourished and given life by the waste of animals. Quite an appetizing thought!
Lets get right to it...
I am full of manure....and so are you. We all are. All of us have had experiences in life whether it be the bad choices of others or our own regretful mistakes that mark us. Call it what it is, painful, filthy, rotten, stinky MANURE! Life's manure actually makes us who we are. It is not a matter of if we have manure, it is rather how we view the manure of life that determines whether it will nourish and grow us or have th the opposite effect which is decay and death. Perspective is everything.
Life brings problems. Problems bring pain. The amount of pain we experience from life's problems is directly determined by our perspective of the problem. If my perspective of my problem, loss, grief, shame, failure, fear, etc. is out of focus or bigger than it should be I am going to experience a large amount of pain. However, if I can get the right perspective of the problem and see things through the right lenses I can actually benefit from my problems.
"And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose." (Romans 8:28)
Sometimes we need to look at what a verse of Scripture does not say in order to understand what it actually does mean. First, notice he does not say "we see". Its hard to "see" how the manure of life is going to work for good especially when your going through it. To "know" is a faith word. It is trusting that some how some way God is going to work manure for good. Secondly, he says "all things". He did not say "some" things. So no matter what it is or who caused it God can and will work "all things" for our good. Thirdly, God works it for "good". God never calls evil good, but He certainly has the wisdom and power to work it for good. Lastly, the promise is for those "who love him". God has promised those who trust in Jesus that all of life's pain and sorrow will somehow someway work for their good and His glory. It is not a trite promise, it can be taken to the bank. Do you love Him? Then you can rest assured the manure of life will be worked for your good.
"being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus." (Philippians 1:6)
I first heard the Good News about Jesus Christ when I was a teenager. It affected me. I wanted Christ. I wanted assurance of heaven. I wanted purpose for life. A seed most definitely was planted in my heart the same way a gardener plants a seed in hope of a crop. However, circumstances and many bad choices created a large amount of manure in my life that actually at the time detoured me away from a relationship with Christ. The cares of this world seemed to choke out the seed and growth in my life. It wasn't until several years later that I actually came into a living relationship with God through Christ.
Once when I was reading Psalm 1 I realized something amazing about manure. Psalm 1 teaches about those who love God and have a relationship with Him and who trust His word. Verse 3 leaped off the pages at me:
"They are like trees planted along the riverbank, bearing fruit each season without fail."
Because of Christ I was a tree planted by living water! God had used the manure manufacturing choices of my life to actually nourish me so He could make me the person He wanted me to be.
So say this with me..."I am full of it...manure that is". But also say this: "I am a tree planted by living water, because of manure, and most importantly because of God's grace I will bear fruit, spiritual fruit in each season without fail!"
