We are beginning our third month of 2026. If you selected a word of the year, you have been working on it for two months. Have you completed a progress check yet? Are you making good progress? Do you need to make some changes in what you are doing or not doing?
You may remember that my word is cultivate. These definitions caught my attention:
- to prepare and work on (land) in order to raise crops; till
- to promote or improve the growth of (a plant, crop, etc.) by labor and attention.
It’s almost time for farmers to start their work in the fields. As spring approaches, much work has to be done to prepare the fields for planting. Spring is a time to prune branches. I have two large plants in my front yard that need all the dead shoots removed from last summer. Another plant was pruned in the fall, so it is all ready for spring. There is preparatory work that needs to be done all over our yard. My husband will spend a copious amount of time picking up sticks, raking up acorns, and dead leaves.
Our spiritual lives are no exception. There is work that needs to be done to grow and be healthy. As our faith deepens, pruning may look different.
How can we cultivate our spiritual lives? Let’s return to the farming analogy.
We need to prepare the soil. Preparing the soil means you have to take a hoe or a plow and get rid of the dead parts of the remaining plants. A good way to do this is to examine how you spend your time. Are there things you need to stop doing? Are there better ways to use your time? We can fill our time with so many good things that we get burned out. Paul warns us of that in Galatians 6:9, “And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up.” We have to make sure we leave time for us to renew our minds on Christ.
The last few days, I have felt like I cannot keep up with things. I have felt overwhelmed by tasks that I always do. I had forgotten to do a couple of things that I always do, and it was frustrating. The things I had been doing were individually good things. The Lord showed me that I was trying to do too many things. I had stopped focusing on the things He had asked me to do. There were things I needed to eliminate from my day so I could concentrate on the things that God really wanted me to do.
When the Lord prompts us to make changes, we need to act promptly. Sometimes we can be distracted by dead plants that need to be removed or weeds that need to be pulled. Take the hoe out of the garden shed and get busy. Delayed obedience is disobedience. As soon as I identified the things that I was doing that weren’t part of God’s plan, I immediately felt better.
Plant new plants. Are there practices that you need to start? Spring is about planting new crops. Have you been putting something off that you know you should be doing? An empty field only grows weeds.
Pull the weeds. My husband would tell you that pulling weeds is an activity I do not do. I detest pulling weeds. He always gets that nasty job.
No one can pull the weeds for you in your spiritual garden. Many things can act like weeds in your garden. I sit down in my recliner in the morning, and have a cup of coffee and some yogurt. Some mornings I sit a little longer than I should.
Weeds are distractions that keep us from doing things that help us stay on track. They take valuable nutrients that are meant for the good plants. The weeds in your garden might be a plant often referred to as a volunteer. It is a plant you did not plant, but there it is growing next to the good plants. The weeds may be something good on their own. The things that I was doing were good things. I was engaging with believers in online Christian communities. Just because it’s a good thing does not mean we should be doing it or doing it as much. If the activity takes away from the time you have to walk in your calling, then it needs to go.
Water and nourish the plants. We have to make sure we are watering our garden. Every garden needs water, sunlight, and fertilizer. If your garden doesn’t get these things, it will not flourish.
We need to make sure that we are spending time in prayer every day. We also need to be in God’s word. I cannot nurture my spiritual garden any other way. By doing what is necessary, your garden will be strong enough to withstand the dog days of summer when it’s hot and dry. Will your roots be deep enough?
Do you have some tending to do in your spiritual garden? I sure do.
If you have selected a word of the year, take the time to do a quick inventory of your progress and make the necessary adjustments.
Let me know what you think.