Weeds

“It is dangerous to view any sin as small or insignificant simply because it isn’t visible to others. In fact, aren’t those the most toxic? Don’t those often root down more deeply into our hearts than our visible sins?”

 “I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener…and he prunes every branch that produces fruit so that it will produce more fruit…. Remain in me, and I in you. Just as a branch is unable to produce fruit by itself unless it remains on the vine, neither can you unless you remain in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. The one who remains in me and I in him produces much fruit, because you can do nothing without me.”

 (John 15:1-2; 4-5 CSB)

Last year was my first attempt at a real flower bed. I avoided them for years because of my fear of spiders (that’s another blog post for another day). I finally tackled the job once we built our new home. I looked at other people’s flower beds as I drove through town. I got on Pinterest and saved ideas. I was ready. And honestly, I enjoyed building it and planting everything. It was instant gratification. But as time passed, I quickly realized the labor involved in keeping it Pinterest-worthy. And I quickly realized mine won’t ever make an appearance on Pinterest!

Here is my issue: the weeds. Y’all, they come out of nowhere. You pick weeds one day, and the very next day new ones sprout up. This is a conversation I had with myself one day while in a weak mental state, pulling weeds in the Louisiana summer heat for what felt like the millionth time: “Ugh, ok weeds. You win. Just have the flower bed. Some of you sort of look like flowers anyway. I mean, who decides what is a weed and what isn’t? Ya know what, I am just going to pull up the big ones. The ones that are really visible from the road. The little ones don’t matter. No one can see them unless they get close! Who cares?! There’ll just be new ones tomorrow anyway!” 

Before you think I am crazy for talking to myself, let me share what God showed me in my war with the weeds. 

1.     When it comes to sin, “the little ones” truly matter.

I have certainly been lazy before and only pulled the big weeds, leaving the little ones for another day. Sometimes the smallest weeds have the deepest roots, which drain all nutrients from the surrounding plants. Like weeds, sin has to be dealt with. Jesus died a brutal death for it, so we can’t minimize it. I am just as guilty of sometimes categorizing sins as big or small, but the truth is that all sin is equal. My sin, even the ones that seem so small, had to be atoned for through Jesus’ death on the cross. It is dangerous to view any sin as small or insignificant simply because it isn’t visible to others. In fact, aren’t those the most toxic? Don’t those often root down more deeply into our hearts than our visible sins? We can’t ignore them. We must get our hands dirty and dig down deep to uproot them.

2.     The battle against sin is ongoing.

Until we reach Heaven, we will continue to battle with sin. We have ultimate victory over it through Jesus, but there will never be a point here when we are immune to it. I know that I will have to pull weeds out of my flowerbeds this year. I know that while the weeds I dealt with last year are gone, new ones will sprout from the earth. It is the same with our sin. It is something we must continue to combat. We will have days that we fail. Thankfully God has equipped us with all we need, and He has given us a Savior who can help us: “His divine power has given us everything required for life and godliness through the knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. By these he has given us very great and precious promises, so that through them you may share in the divine nature, escaping the corruption that is in the world because of evil desire” (2 Peter 1: 3-4 CSB). Isn’t this incredible? Out of His goodness, we have all we need!

3.     What we nurture grows.

Oh this is so important. Some of the plants in my flowerbed didn’t survive (evidence of my pitiful magnolia tree in the picture above, may it RIP). While the harder-to-see weeds seem harmless, they grow and multiply over time. They steal nutrients away from the actual flowers, causing them to starve and shrivel. They are relentless. Our lives reflect this, too. What we nurture will grow. And if left neglected, our spiritual lives will starve and wither. Peter writes, “Like newborn infants, desire the pure spiritual milk of the word, so that by it you may grow up into salvation” (1 Peter 2:2 CSB). The weeds- our sin, worry, apathy, pride, jealousy- will take over. If left alone, they spread throughout our hearts and minds like a disease. If we are getting into the Word daily and asking the Holy Spirit to speak and reveal our sin, He absolutely will. And He is so incredibly faithful to forgive and restore (1 John 1:9). If we nurture our spirits by remaining in His Word, the fruits of the spirit will grow in us.

My flowerbeds need an overhaul this year. New dirt, new pine straw, new plants. I need to dig out everything that didn’t survive and replace it with new life. I can’t let them stay the way they are. My heart needs a constant overhaul, too. A constant digging up of the old, a replacing with the new. A transforming of my mind and my heart. It isn’t always a pleasant process when we invite the Lord’s hand to weed out what is toxic. It hurts. But it is the only avenue for growth. Remain in Him. Stay connected to the source. Weed out what is depleting your spiritual life and nurture your soul with His Word. It will flourish again.