Were We Promised a Rose Garden?

Several years ago, Lynn Anderson, a popular country-western singer, sang a song written by Joe South and made it very popular, “I Never Promised You A Rose Garden.” Some of the words are still meaningful to life in this world, “Along with the sunshine, there’s gotta be a little rain sometimes. When you take, you gotta give, so live and let live, or let go.”
If you know me well you know that I am a gardener and love flowers. I have a lot of other kinds of flowers that are beautiful but I have always loved roses but was discouraged from growing any because “they are too hard to grow and take a lot of work.” Well since when did hard work keep me from doing something I really wanted to do :)? So I bought my climbing rose, planted it in the sun, fed it, watered it, put up a trellis on which to grow and now I have red roses growing outside the picture window of my bathroom. But I have since come to know by the experience of cutting, pruning, digging, feeding and watering that my beautiful roses have thorns which latch onto clothing and skin alike, stabbing, tearing and bringing profuse blood at times. But this light suffering is not to be considered for the pleasure of seeing these beauties outside my window.
How analogous the rose is to the Christian life. Contrary to the focus some teachers have on material things, the "name it and claim it" gospel, we are promised tribulation as long as we live in this world (Jn.16:33), but, don’t you love God's "buts," – “but I have overcome the world.” To become that beautiful, fragrant flower God intended us to be we have to be pruned, dug around, fed, watered and grown in the “Son.” Jesus, the Master Gardener, knows that to grow us up into His perfect image we have to endure whatever He sees it takes to bring us to that place of being a desired, beautiful, fragrant and mature Christian.
Tyler, Texas, is called the rose capitol of the world. I used to see their roses being sold at roadside stands along the interstate outside of Tyler. Because of their fame and beauty, the roses were a sellout every day. Is the beauty of Jesus shining so in us that others who think they are wealthy and have need of nothing want to obtain the beautiful roses of peace, joy, love, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and humility (Rev.3:18, Gal.5:22-23) they see in us? These qualities only come from “the Rose of Sharon” and cannot be purchased with money, only with a repentant and pure heart. In fact, all these beautiful things come in the package when we receive Jesus. When that happens the Master Gardener begins cultivating and perfecting our rose garden.
Yes, we were promised a rose garden. Although the thorns come with the roses it is worth it. (People without Jesus have all thorns, no roses :( ).

Mary Jones