When the COVID-19 pandemic first broke out, it caused a shift in what we all knew as usual. The majority of people went from commuting to school or work to do just about everything from home. Some people believe the COVID-19 pandemic was God’s way of pressing pause for the world. Everyone is on the go so much that we rarely take the time to appreciate the little things. A big part of the world working from home allowed sprucing up in our homes and working spaces by changing paint colors or adding a few plants. There are quite a few Bible verses that mention plants, but they mainly refer to them to give life, rarely as decoration. The authors of the Bible never say using plants as a way to decorate your living space.

Plants Improve Our Working Space

A recent study showed that 40 percent of adults think that the working environment should include plants. Thirty-two percent believe they should consist of bright colors and 27 percent say a working environment should have decorative stationery. Besides being decorative pieces, plants also make some adults feel more productive when surrounded by plants and positively impact their mental health. Ethnobotanist and garden designer James Wong says plants improve people’s mood because green can reduce stress levels and improve your feeling of self-worth. Wong also says that having a living thing to focus on and nurture can relieve stress and anxiety. Thirty-six percent of adults surveyed say that plants bring them joy, while 34 percent find plants therapeutic.

Twenty-three percent of participants take it one step further and say that they connect with their plants by talking to them. Twenty percent even play music for their plants. Being outside can decrease your stress levels and improve your mental health. On the environmental side, 39 percent of participants say that plants help improve the quality of indoor air. In a time where going out wasn’t an option, people started to bring the outdoors indoors. During the onslaught of the pandemic, stress and anxiety were at an all-time high. Individuals had to come up with a way to cope. For some, adding plants to their living and working environments was their coping mechanism.

We are God’s Plants

The initial lockdowns of the COVID-19 pandemic were a stressful time for a lot of people. Even now, the pandemic is still a stressful time. During these lockdowns, people picked up a lot of new hobbies, like baking and taking care of plants. Not only do plants provide sustenance, but they can also improve the look of your living or office space. Some people even reported that taking care of plants made them feel better about themselves. Similar to the way you would take care of a plant, that’s the way God takes care of His people. He nurtures us, feeds us, and makes sure that we have everything we need to be successful. When we’re feeling down, he picks us up, similar to the way you water a plant when it starts drooping. Plants improve your working and living space, just like God improves the lives of His people.