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| A Dying Hope |
We have a basket of hanging flowers by our front door that we purchased in the spring. This has to be the most resilient basket of flowers I have ever purchased. I do not have a green thumb, in fact, I think my thumb is purple—I have no gardening skills or ability to keep plants living for more than two weeks. I do not have any idea how this basket has survived for more than 5 months! Three times I have taken it to the dumpster only to look down and see some fresh buds peeking out, I then turn around, hang the basket back up and wonder how much longer can this thing last?
The irony of it all is that I have a little garden sign that hangs from the basket that says “Hope.”
I laughed to myself the other day when I thought about how silly that must look hanging from a basket of struggling, half-dead flowers. That has been my vision for those flowers though all season, just hoping they would somehow survive.
As in everything that surrounds us, I felt there was a life lesson with those flowers and that sign of Hope. How often do we put our hope in someone or something and yet are unwilling to do any work to help that relationship along or to prepare ourselves for our circumstances? I believe we are to put our Hope in God and that He works all things together for the good of those who seek and follow Him, but I do not think that means that we just sit back and do nothing.
If I do not put the flowers in the sunshine, if I do not water them every day, if I do not pick away the dead pieces to allow room for growth, why then am I so surprised when my purple thumb has killed yet another plant? In the same aspect, if I am not willing to pray every day, seek God’s word for guidance, and live a life that is Holy and upright for Him, how then do I expect to draw closer to God and His purpose for my life?
I know I am guilty of just wanting to cry out to God for healing, for guidance, for blessings and yet I am not willing to take the time everyday to “water” by soul, to grow closer to God, and to pick out the dead pieces within my life to allow for new growth. I want to just place a sign of hope around my neck and pray that it will be enough to grow and flourish in this life.
This was a reality check for me—a funny moment that God used to show me a bigger life lesson. If your life feels like it’s needing refreshed, if you find yourself struggling to grow, if you feel like you are barely hanging on—it’s time to ask yourself if you are using the resources God has given you to grow closer to Him. Salvation is not by works, it is by faith, but faith without works is dead.
James 2:14-24
14 What does it profit, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can faith save him? 15 If a brother or sister is naked and destitute of daily food, 16 and one of you says to them, “Depart in peace, be warmed and filled,” but you do not give them the things which are needed for the body, what does it profit? 17 Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.
18 But someone will say, “You have faith, and I have works.” Show me your faith without your works, and I will show you my faith by my works. 19 You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe—and tremble! 20 But do you want to know, O foolish man, that faith without works is dead? 21 Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered Isaac his son on the altar? 22 Do you see that faith was working together with his works, and by works faith was made perfect? 23 And the Scripture was fulfilled which says, “Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.” And he was called the friend of God. 24 You see then that a man is justified by works, and not by faith only.
