Life Lessons, Pt. 10: Those Pesky Weeds!

Weeds – I hate pulling weeds! It takes time and energy, and I would much rather do something else, but it's necessary. I don't know of anyone who enjoys it. My great-aunt used to say you could tell a weed by its smell. Whether this is true, I know not, but many that I have pulled do have a stench to them. When you pull them, though, you can't just cut them down with a mower; you have to get the root if you don't want it to grow back.

Just as established roots cause a plant to thrive, they also allow weeds to thrive. I have noticed some weeds poking through my garden the past couple of weeks, and as I have seen them sprout, I have pulled them up. When they are young and the soil is wet, the root comes out very easily. It doesn't take a lot of effort to pull up a young weed. However, a well-established weed is another matter altogether. It's unlikely that you will pull up the roots with your hands; sometimes, you need special tools. I have a garden tool that, if you center it above the weed, when you press it down into the ground, it catches onto the root and pulls the whole thing up. However, if you don't have it centered correctly, it won't pull up anything. Hence the saying, let's get to the root of the issue.

It doesn't matter what the symptoms are of the weeds in our life if we aren't willing to get to the root. The problem is, some weeds are pretty, and we don't want to pull them up, but all the time we are admiring them, they are slowly creeping across our yards and gardens, choking out the life of what is healthy. Other weeds are prickly, and you have to wear gloves to grasp hold of them.

In His parable of the seeds and soil, Jesus said, "Now these are the ones sown among thorns; they are the ones that hear the word, and the cares of this world, the deceitfulness of riches, and the desires for other things entering in choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful" (Mark 4:18-19). If fruitfulness is our purpose, weeds in our life can prevent us from stepping into it. It is easy to become consumed with this life, but we need to remember it is temporal. Therefore, we must protect the Word sown in our lives - it's of paramount importance.

Colossians 3:1-2 tells us, "If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth." Our focus should be on that which brings forth the eternal. Jesus was clear that the Father already knows what we need before we even ask and that if God is concerned about clothing the flowers, our well-being is as important to Him (Matt. 6:30-34).

If we desire the Word of God to thrive in our lives, we need to pull the weeds, confident that God is watching out for us. When you can't get to the root, the Holy Spirit is faithful to show you where it is and assist you in its uprooting. We can't afford to be lazy gardeners. We must pay attention because there's an enemy out there who wants our gardens destroyed, and we must be vigilant to watch and discern those things that will choke the Word out of our lives.

Let's Pray:

Holy Spirit, please help me discern between what is a pretty weed and a healthy plant in my life. I don't want anything to come between me and seeing God's Word flourish in my life. Assist me in uprooting anything that is not of You so that my garden will be fruitful and multiply for the Kingdom. In Jesus' Name, amen.