The Roman Gardener

Our church small group is progressing through a study of Romans, and verse 6:21, “What benefit did you reap at that time from the things you are now ashamed of?,” got me thinking. Paul refers to Christians’ lives before and after believing the gospel, and their new perspective that rendered so many prior goals meaningless. This verse reminded me in a different direction – what do we spent time on now that we will regret looking back on our lives?

I’m not saying we should all go out, quit our jobs, and live our lives sipping margaritas in Tahiti (though given the persistent cold rain in NYC this month, that isn’t sounding so bad). Working diligently and honestly brings a sense of purpose in our lives. But when does the desire for personal gain take over the desire to work honorably? When does pride drive us to worry incessantly about being promoted or finding that key stepping-stone job that will land us the true dream down the road? If life were frozen as it is now, à la Groundhog Day, would you be happy with it? What would you change or keep the same? 

Schools and business struggle to teach ethics effectively for a reason: we humans are terribly short-sighted. We seek short-term gain. Possible long-term consequences seem fuzzy at best – certainly not worth giving up the gain now, our short-term minds whisper. Our politicians do the same, avoiding long-term questions like the national debt (blogged more in-depth here) until a true fiscal crisis threatens to crush us.

So what is the solution? How do we develop the self-awareness to recognize areas where we invest time and emotions in goals that we would look back on 20 years from now and see as empty? The answer to the question posed in Romans springs from another book; 1 Thessalonians 5:21 commands: Test everything. Hold on to the good.

It is our job then to be gardeners of our own souls; trimming back unwanted growth and nurturing the blooms that we want to flourish.