A Happy Place

For some time now, I've been diligently following a famous YouTube gardener channel.  the host of the show is an expert of all things plant related, from house plants to outdoor landscapes and gardening.

Recently, I watched a vlog she did on starting seedlings for spring.  She confessed it was a tad early to begin however she couldn’t resist much longer.  In fact, for the first time I noticed her redundantly repeating phrases such as “This is my happy place!” and “Spending time in the garden center makes me feel so full!”  Her passion for nurturing and growing plants is so obvious.

Likewise, in God's kingdom, fullness and fulfillment come from living for the benefit of others.  In the gardener’s case it was her plants.  

If you recall elementary biology there are two distinct groups of living things: consumers and producers.  

Consumers are those that depend on others for their basic needs.   They are unable to produce them on their own.  They exist in order to consume and gratify themselves.

While producers are living things that make their own food supply.  They are energized by the sun and convert that energy into useable food for the rest of the ecosystem.  

The world’s motto has always been a consumer mentality.  In other words live for the benefit of self.  Pursue satisfaction by continuously sustaining and gratifying your own desires.  However, fulfillment is not found because we were not created such.  

In a sense we were destined to be “producers”. We’re in our happy place and only find fulfillment when we live for the benefit of others.  As the sun, God is the source of all our supply and inspiration.  The more time we spend with him the more we become transformed from consumers to producers. 

When Jesus came to share the good news of his kingdom, he made statements that did not agree with common worldly belief.  One of which were 

 It is more blessed to give than to receive. (Acts 20:35 NIV)

 

There is a greater blessing to be discovered when you are on the giving end of things compared to constantly being on the receiving end of things. 

It's important to note , my YouTube gardener would not be able to receive the gratification of nurturing plants without self sacrifice.  From early rising and sleep deprivation to the hard labor of pruning and harvesting fruit. 

Likewise, the transition from consumer to producer in God’s kingdom requires discipline and self sacrifice.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

Supporting Text

Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, after Our likeness … (Gen. 1:26 BSB)

Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others. ( Php 2:3 BSB)

If anyone wants to come after me, he must deny himself ….  For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it. (Matt. 16:24 BSB)