A man selects a site on his property for a garden. He does not till the soil. He just scatters the seed and walks away. No fertilizer is placed with the seed; no watering is done. The man, however, expects a large crop of vegetables. The question here is he being realistic? Well the answer is an obvious no, but in here lays a principle that is important to those who want to be pleasing to God. That principle is: If it's not fed (cultivated, nourished), it won't grow (flourish). So why is that so important? Well as we spoke of last week, the Christian life is one of sacrifice. There are things we simply must refrain from, and although we know this, sometimes we walk too close to the edge. In other words we are feeding or cultivating things we should not. There are too many examples to list but here are a few to help illustrate what I mean.

A young man hears about a party his friends are having. He accepts an invitation and shows up-only to find that it is a poker party. Since celebrities are playing poker and it is on so many TV channels, it must be a cool way to have fun and "make a quick buck," right? The young man, however, knows that it is gambling, and is well aware of the tragic consequences of gambling addiction. He walks away from the party, resolving not to gamble, even if it means his friends will be disappointed. He believes the risk of addiction is too great. -If it's not fed, it won't grow.

A man has been married for several years. He loves his wife and believes their marriage is good, but he is a little bored. At work, he spends a lot of time around a single young woman. She is attractive and personable. Most of their contact is work-related and, so far, he has kept it that way. He knows, however that she would "see him" outside of work, if he would but ask. After thinking it over, he resolves to work on his relationship with his wife, to be more attentive, and to liven up their marriage with better communication and more romance. He resists the urge to build a deeper relationship with the woman at work. -If it's not fed, it won't grow.

A young man and woman in their early twenties have dated for several months and are "serious" about each other. There is a real possibility that they will get married. They love each other and express it in verbal and nonverbal ways. However, they are Christians and have resolved to avoid fornication and save themselves sexually for marriage. Thus, they have set definite limits on their physical displays of affection. They could give into lust, like so many have chosen to do, but they don't. -If it's not fed, it won't grow.

A man is offended by a lifelong friend. He thinks about the situation, but decides to act in good faith and talk to his friend about the problem. The friend understands, and he too, wants to do what is right. Resentment, though contemplated, does not really even begin. -If it's not fed, it won't grow.

Is there something you are feeding that shouldn't be fed? Eric