Life of the Gardener - Part 1 (Know your plants)

You as a leader have been given ownership of a big plot of dirt. Doesn't sound galmorous I know but stick with me for a second. I want you to think of your team, business or family as that plot of dirt and we're going to call it your garden. Within that garden you have all sorts of people, these are your plants. As a gardener the first things you must be able to do is identify and know your plants. They are all different, require different amounts of water and they all have different needs. Some need lots of praise, others lots of correction. Some are outgoing while others are introverts. You need to get to know your plants so that you can know how to tend to them best. They all have different gifts and talents as well and they cannot all be managed, parented, coached or gardened in the same manor. How well do you know the plants that are in your garden? What can you do to get to know them better? Asking questions, going out of your way to spend extra time togehther, and taking interest in the interests of others are great ways to get started. Listen to what the Bible has to say about getting to know the people that have been entrusted to your care.

"It is He (God) who gave some to be apostles, some to be to be prophets, some to be evageltists, and some to be pators and teachers...so that the body of Christ may be built up" Eph 4:11-12

God created all his people with different gifts so that his team, called his body, might function at its best. Your garden is the same way. The combination of plants in your care can come together to form a dynamite combination is your know them well and use each according to their strenghts.

"Train up and child in the way it should go...." - Prov 22:6 This vere in the origianl Hebrew language was translated "train up a child according to their bent...." "Bent" here means that each child is angled differently, designed differently, and has a unique way that they work best. As a parent is it your responsiblility, with the Lord's help, to determine the bent of that child, and raise them up accordingly. However, you must face the facts here. This means that not every kid will be a pro athlete, singer, doctor, laywer, or CEO. I don't even think that college is for all kids. You must let you kids, or those that you are leading develop according to there God given strenghts. As a leader it is your repsonsiblilty to identify though strengths and help bring them out.