There is a nursery rhyme, “Mary, Mary, quite contrary… How does your garden grow? Have you thought about your mind and heart as a garden? Consider thoughts as seeds that you plant in the garden of your mind and heart. Only you can determine the seeds you plant. Accept the fact that weeds grow naturally, but flowers must be planted. Realize what you sow is what will grow. If you plant contrary thoughts or seeds of doubt, gloom, frets, bitterness, worry, unbelief, and strife, they will become weeds that will spring up to defile many. “Lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled” (Heb.12:15). If you plant thoughts or seeds of kindness, hope, joy, encouragement, patience and love, they will blossom into flowers that will delight many. Seek to delight not defile. Since it is your personal garden, you need to be selective and plant the right seed-thoughts that will produce a beautiful garden for others to enjoy. Remember, what you think is what you will become. “For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he” (Pr. 23:7). “Whatsoever things are true…honest… just… pure… lovely… and of good report…think on these things.
So, what is growing in your garden? Weeds or flowers? Bad seed thoughts naturally sprout into weeds, while good seed thoughts must be planted and continually cultivated. No one goes to the garden and pulls out the flowers so the weeds will grow. But you must pull out weeds so flowers can grow. Good news! You can only think one thought at a time, so the Bible says to think on these things and then do those things that will produce a beautiful garden. Those things, which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do: and the God of peace shall be with you” (Phil. 4:8-9).
The need is the right seed thoughts. Plant seed thoughts that produce “The peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus” (Phil. 4:7). Notice what you think in your mind plants seeds into your heart. Both your mind and heart must agree before you can have the peace of God. When there is conflict between your mind (think) and heart (you), it produces unrest and stress. What is in your mind and heart? What results do others see in your garden? As the poem, “How does your garden grow? Bitterness or Blessings? Peace or Stress? Weeds or Flowers? Remember, the greatest testimony to the world is a changed and consistent Christian life. So let’s acknowledge Him in all our ways (Prov. 3:5-6), and bloom where we are planted. “How does your garden grow?”
