Let's Talk Fertilizer

Let's Talk Fertilizer

October 21, 2019 | Kathryn Hufford


A few weeks ago we considered the Anniversary Tree as a metaphor for marriage. As you can imagine, for one to live long, it needs care and nurturing. This week, let us consider how to nurture that tree to ensure longevity and health by the use of a very important ingredient.

Fertilizer! In order to be effective, it needs to get to the root at the right time, in the right amount, and be of the right type in order to contribute to the flourishing and growth of a tree. If we were to consider our communication or words to be the fertilizer for our marriages and relationships, what would your tree look like? Robust and healthy or struggling?

Thankfully, our Creator who knows us beyond what we can imagine, has provided helpful instructions on how to “fertilize” deep into the roots of our relationships. If we look to Ephesians 4 we find the helpful and needed ingredients list: humility, gentleness, patience, unity, peace, grace, truthfulness, love, encouragement, and timeliness. Of course we want to ensure our fertilizer is clear of any contaminants such as bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, slander, malice, corrupting talk, deceit, callousness, ignorance and hardness of heart!

This fertilizer is uncommonly gentle and is most effective if liberally applied each day to ensure growth in every way. Timely delivery would advise us to not let the sun go down without a healthy dose of the good stuff and a purge of any contaminants, especially anger! 

In our marriages and other relationships, let the rich soil of the gospel be the foundation from which we nourish the roots. Let us find our source in the grace that was given to each one of us according to the measure of Christ’s gift, considering Christ and His great sacrificial love for us, and living that out in the same measure with each other. Tend the garden of your relationships with gracious words rooted in the love of Christ through the Holy Spirit and they shall surely be nourished.


Kathryn Hufford

Women's Discipleship Leader