“In the garden with God” doesn’t always mean a walk through the flowers. A few days ago, the Lord spoke to me about how I’m in a season of pruning. Right after that, He pulled out the big shears and went to work.
You see, the evening before, after a simple trip to the store, I got another “tell us how we did” survey. In total irritation, I went on rant, telling my husband, “A survey? Really? That’s ridiculous. All they did was ring up a single purchase!”
The problem with scorn
You might think mine was a perfectly normal reaction. But God thought differently. The problem is, what I expressed was not just displeasure, but scorn. And He reminded me that scorn works directly against the kindness that ushers in His anointing.
What is scorn? In the Old Testament, it’s a word that means to condemn, despise, disdain, mock, or jeer at. Here’s what God thinks about scorn:
The eye that mocks his father, And scorns obedience to his mother, The ravens of the valley will pick it out,
And the young eagles will eat it.
Prov. 30:15
Ouch! In a feeble attempt to defend myself, I asked God how I’m supposed to respond when companies go overboard with their surveys. He asked, “Is it something you can control?” I had to say no. My scorn didn’t change anything about the company, it only impacted me.
Scorn is a poisonous response that allows bitterness to take root. And bitterness doesn’t just poison us, it also brings trouble on others.
Make sure no one misses out on God’s wonderful kindness. Don’t let anyone become bitter and cause trouble for the rest of you.
(Heb. 12:15*)
Put it in neutral
I think God understands it’s an annoyance to be inundated with “how did we do” texts, emails, and phone calls. But instead of reacting negatively, we can learn to treat things like this as a “neutral.” We can say, “Well, it’s there, and it’s not my favorite thing, but I’m not going to let it impact my thoughts or behavior. And then we move on.
In the garden with God. There’s no place I’d rather be.
Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things.
(Phil. 4:8)
*Contemporary English Version, Second Edition (CEV®) © 2006 American Bible Society. All rights reserved.
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