The Weeds
of Sin
This past Tuesday, after a morning
of drizzling rain, followed by an overcast sky with cool temps, I
managed to motivate myself to tackle the unpleasant task of pulling
weeds. While I have neither a vegetable or flower garden, I do have a
small area that borders the driveway and the walkway to our front door
that I attempt to make halfway presentable. In that area is a small
bench, a couple of purchased flower baskets, several large rocks
dispersed throughout the area, a garden flag and several decorative,
stepping stones. Occasionally I plant a few flowers, but this year I
nixed the idea. I just didn’t want the burden to have to remember to
water them. (If you saw the wilted condition of my flower baskets,
you’d understand.)
Both of my parents loved working in
the yard, as well as growing a few veggies, fruits and flowers. My mom
actually preferred that to housework. Somehow, though, I didn’t get
that gene, but my brother did. He always had the nicest yard on the
block, worthy of a magazine cover.
Anyway, back to pulling weeds.
According to the calendar, we are not officially into summer; but prior
to this week, I have already had to weed and spray Round-Up twice. Yet,
after numerous days of rain, followed by many days with temps too high
to be outside weeding, those pesky plants were on the verge of getting
out of control. So, with the damp and cool weather on Tuesday, I
decided to take advantage of this window of opportunity.
Since only my hands were busy and my
mind needed something to do, I couldn’t resist mulling over the
similarities between weeds and sin. That’s right. I said weeds and sin!
Just like weeds, sins can pop up out
of nowhere. It doesn’t take much for a wayward thought or attitude to
turn sinful. Then, when our spiritual life is neglected for even a
short amount of time, that neglect results in fertile ground for sin to
start sprouting. Unfortunately, small issues in our lives that we think
aren’t a big deal can take root. And, just like weeds, if they’re not
pulled or taken care of as soon as they show their ugly leaves, roots
grow deeper and start taking hold. I am always amazed at the depth and
strength of weeds that have only been noticeable for a few days.
One of the reasons I prefer waiting
to pull weeds immediately following a good rain is that it’s easier to
pull the weeds from the wet, softened soil. Hmm, isn’t it interesting
that in the Bible God’s word is symbolically referred to as “water”?
When we take time to be in regular Bible study, the water of His word
softens our hearts, making it easier for God to “weed” the sins that
have begun to take root. Without that water, our heart can begin to dry
out, making it hardened and insensitive to having a godly spirit.
Weeds are tough and aggressive. They
can sprout in a few grains of sand between the cracks in the sidewalk
and even push through asphalt. Even when purging an entire plot of
ground of every possible weed visible, within a day they’ll be replaced
with others.
Sins are just like that. Without
realizing it, they show up within the heart of a person and take hold.
Their roots reach deep, and without a person making the effort to “wash
with water through the word” (Ephesians 5:26 NIV) and taking the
necessary steps to pull them out by the root of their cause, their
presence will spread and take over the heart. And, just as soon as you
feel cleansed from sins’ evil hold, others are waiting by the side to
replace them. So, just like pulling plants, the weeds of sin require
constant attention.
So, what’s the bottom line? Keep the
water of the word flowing through your life and through your heart.
When the water source is cut off and your life and heart start drying
out spiritually, your fruitfulness for the Kingdom of God will also dry
up.
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