I Chose Bad Dirt

Read Time / 2 Minutes

Theme / Wise Decisions

I am not much of a carpenter, but I was trying, and I was pleased with my craftsmanship thus far.   The pieces of wood I had nailed together were holding and I was ready for the next step.  I was building a raised garden bed in our backyard for my wife.  I had purchased several 2” x 8” lumber and had crafted a couple of rectangles to be filled with dirt, but that is where my problem started.

To save a few dollars, I decided to grab a shovel and buckets and head to a forested area near our house to get dirt.  After several trips of digging, filling, hauling, and emptying, my garden beds were full of soil, and I planted seeds, watered, and waited for the vegetables to grow.  It took only a few days before I noticed the weeds.  In transporting the forest dirt, I had transported the forest weeds (plus other debris)!   I spent the rest of the summer pulling weeds as my vegetables tried to grow.  If only I had taken the time to buy clean dirt – it would have been well worth it.

Life is like that sometimes – the actions we take produce weeds.  The parable of four soils in Matthew 13:1-23 illustrates the importance of planting in good soil to grow good crops.  The parable teaches that the Word of God can impact our lives, but only if we let it. 

For example, we are encouraged to "Do everything in love" (1 Corinthians 16:14).  I wonder how often we live out that verse in our lives, including in our marriages.  Good financial decisions in marriage require good soil.  There is good soil when there is open communication about money in the marriage.  A loving husband listens to his wife’s concerns about money and responds in love.  A financial decision that includes mutual consent is a financial decision that is birthed in good soil!

Doug Hanson, MBA

Wealth Advisor

208.697.3699

doug@christianwm.com