Letters From Grandpa #582

• LETTERS FROM GRANDPA
• 582 Dearest grandchild,

Today’s letter will be about being a “co-worker” with our heavenly Father. Some of my happiest memories involve working with my earthly father. It was obviously more work for him to teach me how to work than it was to do it himself. His love for me, however, gave him the patience, time, and energy to teach me. This is precisely what our heavenly Father does with His children.

Paul was concerned about the Corinthians for they were “mere infants” in need of maturity. “Brothers, I could not address you as spiritual but as worldly – mere infants.” (1 Corinthians 3:1) He reminded them: “What, after all, is Apollos? And what is Paul? Only servants, through whom you came to believe—as the Lord has assigned to each his task. I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God has been making it grow. So neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow. The one who plants and the one who waters have one purpose, and they will each be rewarded according to their own labor. For we are co-workers in God’s service; you are God’s field, God’s building.” (1 Corinthians 3:5-9) They had many “guardians”, but not many “fathers” (1 Corinthians 4:15)

It all began in Eden when “The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and to take care of it.” (Genesis 2:15). Obviously God could have done it better by Himself, but loved Adam so much that He allowed him to help. God even gave Adam the honor of naming all the livestock, birds, and beasts (Genesis 2:20). Today the naming and classification of organisms is an important branch of science known as “taxonomy”. God, of course, didn’t “need” Adam’s help, but like a loving Father patiently permitted him to work with Him just the same!

There is an old joke about the man who worked hard and had a beautiful weed free garden. When a friend noted what a beautiful garden God had given to him, he said: “You should have seen it when God had it all to Himself”. The point is, there are many things that God has chosen to delegate to mankind. For example, God has given to mankind the exclusive right to preach the Gospel! The Great Commission, as you know, was given to men and not angels.

Edie Bowers Moore married our good family friend Ardell Moore after the death of his beloved wife Sue. Here is a poem Edie wrote that illustrates how we can work with God.

“The heart is a garden where thought flowers grow. The thoughts that you think are the thoughts that you sow.

Every kind loving thought bears a kind loving deed.

While the thought that is selfish is just like a weed. We must watch what we think of each minute of the day,

And pull out the weed thoughts and throw them away.

And plant loving seed thoughts so thick in a row, That there won’t be room for the weed thoughts to grow.”

In some ways our mind is like a garden. Fortunately you do not have to let your mind run wild but can “Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God.” (Colossians 3:2) Just as a diligent gardener can pull out a weed, we too can pull out a thought! The Scriptures teach that Lot chose to pitch his tents near Sodom (Genesis 13:12). How sad! With a single click on our computer or cell phone, however, we can do the same.

Public health statistics released March 19, 2025 indicate that food poisoning in the U.S. resulted in 53,300 hospitalizations and 931 deaths. Poison thoughts, of course, are also dangerous, for the way we think is the way we live (Proverbs 23:7). God destroyed mankind with a flood because “Every inclination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil all the time.” (Genesis 6:5) Their evil thoughts, of course, produced their evil deeds. When people do not like to retain the knowledge of God He gives them over to a reprobate mind (Romans 1:28). Don’t let this happen to you!

Conversion, as you know, requires “repentance.” The Greek word for “repentance” is “metanoeo” which literally means to “change your mind.” The citizens of Ephesus worshipped the pagan goddess Diana, but when they “repented” they took their bad books and burned them publicly. It was the right thing to do even though the price of those books was 50,000 pieces of silver (Acts 19:19). David committed adultery and murder because he walked on the roof of his house and focused his eyes on a naked woman that wasn’t his wife. When he “repented” he promised God “I will walk in my house with blameless heart. I will set before my eyes no vile thing.” (Psalms 101:2-3)

Nature abhors a vacuum. So the Ephesians burned bad books they read Paul’s letter! That inspired letter told them to replace falsehood with truth, to replace stealing with hard work, to replace unwholesome talk with helpful words, to replace bitterness and anger with kindness and compassion (Ephesians 4:25-32). Our goal is to “Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children and live a life of love just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.” (Ephesians 5:1-2) God help us to think like Jesus!

If you really want to, you can pull the weeds thoughts out of your mind throw them away. Then you can think on things that are “true”, “noble”, “right”, “pure”, “lovely”, “admirable”, “excellent”, and “praiseworthy.” (Philippians 4:8) As a “co-worker” in God’s service He will help you!

I love you,

Grandpa Boyce