Fertilizers or Worms?

Everyone knows the basics of gardening. Some key ingredients needed for gardening: sunlight, water, fertilizer. Imagine two scenarios. #1, gardening using fertilizers. What would happen to the plant? It will continue to grow and grow and grow! Some of us might even have a plant like Jack's beanstalk in the story "Jack and the beanstalk"! Situation #2, what if instead of fertilizers, you use worms and caterpillars, what do you think will happen then? The plant would have holes in the leaves, look ugly, starts to wither and probably ends up dead.

Proverbs 14:34 was probably for a leader or king. It reads, "Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a disgrace to any people." If a leader of a nation is righteous in all his or her dealings, the nation will prosper and the people will all have a good life. But if the leader resorts to underhand methods and trying to enforce his or her power by violence and killing or hogging all money to himself or herself with their own aristocrats while the people live in poverty, the nation and all its people will suffer. The same principle applies in corporate leadership, team leadership, or any position of authority.

But it does not end there. "Oh, but I am not a leader therefore this does not apply to me." Who says it does not? I kid you not... An extended application of this verse can be applied to your daily interactions. How you treat other people - with righteousness, your integrity is upheld, the relationship blossoms and the person and you will be both happy! Treat them with unrighteousness or sin, the relationship suffers, your reputation goes down the drain, you live in fear, people look down upon you etc. Doesn't this point to the principle as outlined in the proverb?

God is a God of righteousness and He loves the righteous. Take a moment to pray and ask the Lord to help you in being righteous in every dealing you have today. If there is a broken relationship, commit it to the Lord and ask that God restore and heal the relationship, then make a commitment to uphold righteousness everyday. To use fertilizers or worms, it is your choice.

[Look out for a need around you. Someone is being bullied, stand up for that person. Someone does not have food, give the person some. When tempted to lie or cheat someone, pray and stand up for righteousness.]