Got weeds? Do you not just hate them? I do! I did not plant them, yet they grow in my yard, flowerbeds, and garden. Weeds seem to grow faster on less water than desirable thing you plant. You can hate them, hoe them, pull them, spray them, and blame them on somebody else, Adam (Gen 3:17), but they continue to show up.

This last week I was pulling some baby weeds out of my garden when my new gardening buddy, Rowdy, came up beside me. Rowdy is also one of my neighbors; he is probably five or six years of age and has all the wonder-filled questions that come with being that age, like “Whatcha doin’ now?” This particular day as he watched me pulling these tiny little weeds, he asked me, “Are you going to pull every single weed?”

Before I answered him with a deliberate, “Yes sir, I am going to pull every single one of them.” I thought to myself, “Why?” Why would I be so intent to pull every single weed? Why not leave a few of them? One or two little weeds wouldn’t hurt anything; they are one hundred percent natural and organic. “No!” I thought to myself “I am not raising weeds. I hate weeds, and the fact that a week later I will have to do this all over again is not going to stop me from getting rid of them, now!”

It was at this point that I began to consider some similarities between the weeds in my garden and the sin in my life. Yes, I have had, do have, and probably will have weeds, but this does not mean that I will quit battling against them or simply start covering them up. You can hide weeds by covering them up with soil, and it keeps them from being apparent, but unseen, they are still there, thriving. The same things can be said about sin. Yes, I have, do, and probably will sin (1 Jn 1:8, 10). However, I cannot quit battling it in my life, nor can I simply cover it up and pretend if you do not see it, it’s not there.

In the same way I continually battle weeds in my yard or garden, I must continually battle sin in my life. I may never live to see the day that I do not have weeds in my garden and sin in my life, but I refuse to love them or pretend they do not matter. Pulling weeds from my garden does not frustrate me; it encourages me, even though I know it will likely be an ongoing task. The ongoing battle to sanctify my life and rid it of sin should be encouraging, as well. If you and I will but – test everything, hold on to the good and avoid every kind, appearance, of evil (1 Thess 5:21, 22) then we can be assured the faithful God, who calls us, will bring it to pass (1 Thess 5:24 NASB ’95)!

 

Peace,

Jay Don

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