I’m not a gardener but my husband gets his mind off of work when he gardens. So I help in the garden when he asks and I get to harvest the fruits of his labor. I found that the Believers Instruction Book: Living Edition has a lot of references to gardening. In fact, in the first book God planted a garden and placed man in the garden to tend and watch over it. There are several gardening references that illustrate good business principles. Here are just a few.
Order and Seasons
Before planting any seeds, Scott would prepare the ground by turning the soil over and getting rid of weeds and old growth. After breaking up the ground, he levels it with a rake. Then he starts planting seeds.
After the seeds are planted Scott would water and get rid of weeds. Sometimes there would be sprouts where he sowed, other times not. Then there are bugs and animals. I used to wonder if it was worth it but Scott relaxes out in the garden.
When Scott started his business, he took time to plan out what he wanted to do. He prepared the groundwork and talked with others who were experienced. He wanted to get his business ready so his customers would have a great experience. At times I wondered if he was procrastinating but he was working on his business.
Just like plants have a life cycle, businesses have stages, too. Scott talks about it in his podcast episode #147, so I won’t go into it here. The main thing is that what works for one stage won’t work well for another so it’s important to know which stage your business is in.
Reap What We Sow
With so many varieties of seeds out there, I’m glad that Scott keeps the package so we know what we’re getting. We’ve had different colors and sizes of tomatoes in the past but they were still tomatoes. We’ve even had red carrots but they tasted and crunched like carrots.
There is a proverb that says when we work hard, we’ll get plenty of food but if we chase after fantasies, we’ll end up in poverty. If we don’t prepare the groundwork at the right time, then we won’t have anything to harvest. There are consequences to the decisions we make. We’ll either enjoy the rewards or suffer and learn from the mistakes.
Scattering Seeds
When I first started my business in direct sales, I was given a CD of Jim Rohn’s interpretation of the parable of the sower. His explanation was quite entertaining and gave me a new perspective of how to look at my journey in business. As I mentioned in previous posts, Jesus is a good example to follow. He actually explains the parable of the sower to HIs disciples Jim Rohn took principles from the Bible to help people succeed in life.
Prayer
Dear God in heaven,
Thank You for being a good gardener. Thank you for wanting us to produce much fruit. Help us to remain in Jesus and His words to remain in us so that we can bring You great glory. Let us not get tired of doing good.
In Your Son’s name, Amen
Verses
Genesis 2:8,15
Isaiah 28:23-29
Galatians 6:7-9
Proverbs 28:19
Matthew 13:3-8,18-23
John 15:1-8
Song
“Tend the Ground“ by Curtis Stephan
Call to Action
If you have already prayed, looked up the verses in your Bible, and listened to the suggested song, then get a strawberry or tomato plant and let me know if you get any fruit.