Contender: Institute Part 1

It has been five years  six months now since the Lord saw fit to promote me as a husband of a wife of great worth to the heightened responsibility of a father to young arrows. As a team partnered together like a garden, we now embark on a cultivating journey .Gardens are to be full of life, fragrance, beauty, and harmony. The question many seek to find is how to make these descriptive words a reality. I am not a gardener, but one thing is for sure a successful garden comes by labor and toil. This labor is not haphazard or without carefully planning. A family like a garden needs much labor; this labor is put into action by instituting a thoughtful plan. No matter your season of life whether single, married, or married with children your decision to be a cultivator is of the upmost importance. Besides it being the first calling of man by God; there is one who is a destroyer who embarks to devour life, fragrance, beauty, and any and all harmony with the life of one or a family. Solomon tells a story of a man who made the shameful choice to be a sluggard with his home (garden). He said he observed this man’s land while he was out walking; no doubt taking in the beauty of other gardens. When he approached this sluggard’s property the effects of neglect were ever apparent.  The fence was torn down (first line of defense), rocks scattered (obstacles for plowing), weeds, thorns, and thistles overgrown (nutrient robbers, chokers of life). This man’s property was described as a shame. Why? Mainly because its condition with the right plan, commitment to labor, and a heart to bring glory to God was and still is for you and I avoidable. Another reason for shame for Solomon and others of his day is your garden makes visibly to all your view of the Creator Himself.

   Our previous lessons have been centered on Contenders taking A.C.T.I.O.N. This lesson has been more centered on the character and approach to our bible study; rather than trying to box it in with a rigid system. Gardeners have specific tools for their trade that enable them to be successful. In our attempt to Cultivate scripture these tools are our approach. If we open our gardener’s kit to see what we have at our disposal so far, we find inside three tools of preparation. Contenders A.ctivate, C.onfirm, and T.rust the scriptures that have been entrusted to them, and cost many their lives. These preparatory approaches are like the Gardner prepping the soil; though this is an action, it is a preparatory action. Our next approach is the planting of Gods seed (word) in to the soil that has been prepared. This approach I call I.nstitue, which is also a partner approach; meaning that it is never done alone. On one side we have Truth; that is what we institute. On the other side coming next is O.mit; which is to eliminate what truth uncovers to be false within us (this is like removing rocks and weeds from your garden). There are four areas of focus we want to draw our attention to in uncovering institute as an approach.

1. Highest Position
2. Hopeful Planting
3. Healthy Patterns
4. Helpful People

Highest position
   When we carefully begin supplying our hearts and minds with the truth of God we must first make a costly decision; this decision will mean the end of you and me as the ultimate authority. To make God’s truth (word) supreme is to appoint it to the highest position, even above our opinions and justifications. To Continue with Solomon as an example; He makes another observation that illustrates making the word of God’s truth supreme in the lives of those who have been graced with it.

Ecclesiastes 10:5-7

New American Standard Bible (NASB)

 ⁵ There is an evil I have seen under the sun, like an error which goes forth from the ruler—

⁶ folly is set in many exalted places while rich men sit in humble places. ⁷ I have seen slaves riding on horses and princes walking like slaves on the land.

   The main thrust to this observation is that the role of ruler and servant has become reversed. If we apply this to our relationship and responsibility to the word of truth, God intended His Word to have mastery over our lives not to serve us. Another way to look at this is to see that the gift of our heart and minds weren’t giving to us so that they may master us but be servants to the will and good pleasure of God. When we begin to institute the word of truth into our hearts and minds we are giving it reign, we are excepting it’s authority, we submit our rule, we get off the Masters horse and get back to walking in step with Him.

In the follow up lesson we will seek to make application of the remaining three bullet point to the Institute approach. Until then pick up your sword… it’s the leather one. -Ryan