I had never been one for gardening, but I was drawn into it after moving to the UK. It’s difficult not to be captivated by the vibrantly coloured ornamental plants that adorn many homes, not to mention the sheer charm that springtime blossoms bring.
Although I’d experimented with just two plants shortly before autumn in 2024—at that point, I hadn’t fully committed to gardening—the real journey began in spring 2025. Our dear sister Inita, out of the kindness of her heart, bought flower pots, gardening tools, and our first batch of plants. She travelled all the way from Kent to Essex with a mission to guide me through my first steps in this new pursuit. She is truly a blessed woman.
We began with a handful of ornamental plants, and she offered me valuable tips on how to care for them. Some were planted in the front garden, others in the back.
It’s now been three months since we began, and my wife and I have already learnt some profound spiritual lessons through gardening.
The Outcome: The Essence Lies in the Result
The purpose of planting is ultimately the result—whether fruit or flowers. It is the thought of the joy and beauty these plants will bring that motivates us to tend to them diligently. The soothing sight of blooming flowers and the promise of fruit make the labour worthwhile. And so it is with the things of the spirit.
Christ had the end result in mind—sons and daughters of God, conformed to His image. That’s why He came in the flesh and endured suffering and shame. His motivation was seeing us brought into His glory, becoming just like Him.
“In bringing many sons and daughters to glory, it was fitting that God, for whom and through whom everything exists, should make the pioneer of their salvation perfect through what he suffered. Both the one who makes people holy and those who are made holy are of the same family. So Jesus is not ashamed to call them brothers and sisters.”
— Hebrews 2:10–11 (NIV)
During His earthly ministry, Jesus chose twelve disciples who, by the religious standards of the time, would never have qualified to follow a great Rabbi—fishermen, tax collectors, zealots. Yet, He saw beyond their present circumstances. What He saw were future apostles of the greatest movement the world has ever known—one that would reach nations for thousands of years. It was this vision of their eventual transformation that motivated Him to nurture them patiently.
This same mindset is vital when we disciple others in the Lord. We yearn to see them rooted in faith and truth, growing to maturity in Christ. At times, the process can be daunting, fraught with challenges and setbacks. But keeping sight of the end result should fuel our perseverance.
Spiritual Cultivation
Many of us have a picture in our minds of the kind of Christians we aspire to be—mature, loving, faith-filled, powerful, conformed to the image of Christ. But to get there requires intentional cultivation—gardening, if you will, of the soul. The seed of God within us must be planted, nourished, monitored and tended to before we can see the fruits of spiritual growth.
There is a journey, a process. And it is the hope of the final outcome that encourages us to stay steadfast in prayer, in the Word, and in every spiritual discipline that fosters maturity.