PULLING WEEDS

It is that time of year again when all of us avid gardeners are spending a good bit of our time pulling weeds.  As I was in my garden this morning, I began thinking of how God uses this mundane task to teach us some pretty important life-lessons.

When my children were young, I would have them help with the gardening.  I instructed them how to pull the weed carefully from the base so that the roots would be removed along with the plant.  Being children, and being in a hurry to get this unpleasant job over with quickly, they would just rip the tops off the plants so that it looked like they had done a good job when they really had just taken a shortcut.  It was soon very apparent what they had done, however, because the weeds would begin to grow again quickly from the bit of root that they had left.  They would just have to deal with the same weeds over again.

This is much like those who only make a pretense of dealing with sin in their lives.  They are very careful to maintain the appearance of godliness, but do not deal with the root of the issue in their lives.  The result is that they are beset time and again by the same sin that continues to spring up from the root.  We are told to, "Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord: looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled."  (Hebrews 12:14,15).

Many have had the experience in a relationship where their partner will become extremely agitated over some insignificant issue, apparently for no reason.  This behavior may surprise or bewilder the other partner, until they discover (usually much later and after several similar episodes) that their mate is holding onto some hurt, or unkind act or word, that has created a root of bitterness which explodes when anything reminds them of the original offense.  Until there can be honest communication between the two, and the root of bitterness exposed, the hurt will remain a source of escalating tension.

Another lesson I have learned is that weeds are very greedy.  They want to dominate the garden.  Left alone, they will choke out the good things that you have planted in your garden so that they cannot produce the fruit that they would normally; or worse, they die out altogether.

Sin is like that.  Allowed to grow in our lives, it will choke the spiritual life right out of us until we can no longer bear the fruits of a Christian life.  How essential it is for us to "Break up our fallow ground, and sow not among thorns."  (Jeremiah 4:3).  Jesus expanded on this theme in His parable of the sower.  "And these are they which are sown among thorns; such as hear the word, and the cares of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts of other things entering in, choke the word, and it becometh unfruitful."  (Mark 4:18,19).

So, how is it that we can stay weed-free?  It is by abiding in Christ our Savior.  It is by bringing our every need and every sin before the throne of grace.  It is by trusting that our faith in the Son of God is capable of transforming us into righteous, holy people.  Scripture tells us that we are complete in Him (Jesus).  If we are complete in Him, then there is not one sin that can have dominion over us.  Christ came not only to forgive our past sins, but to deliver us from the power of sin altogether.  "Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son."  (Colossians 1:13).  It is high time that God's people learn to walk in the power and freedom that Christ has won for them.  He has overcome the world, the flesh, and the devil so that we, too, might know victory.  We have allowed the weeds to overrun God's garden for long enough! 

 

"But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you.  Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness."  (Romans 6:17,18).