God and the Vegetable Patch
Years ago, I remember hearing a story shared by the famed preacher, John Piper, and it left a lasting impact on me. He shared this particular story in the middle of one of his most profound sermons called “Don’t Waste Your Life.” The story was about a couple called Bob and Penny who entered retirement early and spent the rest of their lives on the beach, collecting shells. In his unforgettable sermon, Piper shared that Bob and Penny were living a real life tragedy in that they spent their final days living completely for themselves. He said,
“That’s a tragedy. And people today are spending billions of dollars to persuade you to embrace that tragic dream. And I get forty minutes to plead with you: don’t buy it. With all my heart I plead with you: don’t buy that dream. The American Dream: a nice house, a nice car, a nice job, a nice family, a nice retirement, collecting shells as the last chapter before you stand before the Creator of the universe to give an account of what you did: “Here it is Lord — my shell collection! And I’ve got a nice swing, and look at my boat!”*
I believe this sermon was John Piper’s magnum opus, similar to the sermon delivered by the late, Great Awakening preacher, Jonathan Edwards, known as Sinner’s in the Hand of an Angry God.** Piper’s sermon had such a profound impact on young believers in my generation, and convicted kids like me deeply of the importance of not wasting our lives, but instead, on using them for the glory of God.
Recently, this sermon came to mind when I found myself far too preoccupied with the garden, food preservation, and production. Last summer, it’s safe to say that I worked myself into the ground–and though hard work is not a bad thing, one has to ask themselves if what they are doing now is proportionate to what they will be doing for all eternity. In other words, how is my hard work in the garden bringing glory to God, ultimately? Do I want glory for myself–or for Him? Would the multitude of hours of work done in that space prove profitable in the final Day? Or would my ‘good works’ burn up like rubble? For me–it became a heart issue. My time spent there was becoming unbalanced and I felt it. And it’s safe to say–even good gifts can be loved too much. In those moments of conviction–I felt unbalanced in my affinity towards this space and I knew I needed God’s help to usher me back to my first Love (Him).
Truth be told–I love the garden, and the hard labor that accompanies having one. But, there began to be a heart issue occurring whenever I stepped foot inside. I thought of Bob and Penny and their shells. I thought of myself seeing King Jesus one day and saying “Here it is Lord–my vegetable collection!” Look at all of the vegetables I grew!” Suddenly, all the hard work within became rubble in my mind. And I recognize how kind God was to give this perspective so that I don’t continue to labor too hard over things that aren’t eternal.
There’s nothing wrong with collecting shells in retirement, just like there’s nothing wrong with hard labor in the garden. The issue is this: where is our heart finding its true and supreme joy? For where our treasure is, there our hearts will be also (Matthew 6:21).
Good gifts like gardening and shell collecting ought to be enjoyed for the glory of God, but should also display a balanced perspective of the reality of the futility of such gifts and activities. The shells and the vegetables alike will perish one day, as will the strength to engage in collecting them. It’s true–we need a fresh perspective each day so that we don’t get lost in giving away too much time to things that won’t last. And only the Lord can give that perspective.
“As for the rich in this present age, charge them not to be haughty, nor to set their hopes on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly provides us with everything to enjoy. They are to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share, thus storing up treasure for themselves as a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of that which is truly life.
-1 Timothy 6:17-19 (ESV)
*https://www.desiringgod.org/messages/boasting-only-in-the-cross/excerpts/dont-waste-your-life
**https://www.blueletterbible.org/comm/edwards_jonathan/sermons/sinners.cfm
