Weeds

For Mother's Day this year I gave my mother-in-law a coupon for 3 hours of our time to do whatever she needed done around her house. I was thinking cleaning the inside of the house or organizing or something like that. Never did I dream that she would ask me to help with weeding her flower gardens. I was like are you sure? You sure you don't want me to help clean out your closet or SOMETHING?! Anything other than pull the weeds? But, she wanted help with her weeds. So, the kids and I went and spent time helping her weed her flower gardens. When we left her house I was exhausted, but felt I had done a pretty good job.

When I pulled into my driveway I was STUNNED. When did I get weeds in MY flower garden?? How did I not notice?! I swear they must have all grown in while I was at my mother-in-laws house! However, since I know that is impossible, I will say that it must have happened and I was so busy with the other things going on in my life that I never noticed until I took the time out to weed someone else's garden. So of course it's been eating at me to get out there and take care of my weeds.

Sin is like that too. It roots in and festers before we ever notice that it's there...and if we are not careful it will start choking out the life in us. It starts out as one little weed or one little sin, but before you know it there are so many weeds you don't know where it started or where you should begin to pull them out.

One thing I noticed as I started pulling my weeds is that one weed  looked pretty innocent...but the longer I examined it and tried to find the root, I realized it had multiple roots...6 in fact. Sin is like this too. It starts out as one little sin...then before you know it, it has taken over different parts of your life. You find it hard to realize where it started and where and when it is going to end. I would encourage you to find the roots and start there. You may not even realize you are in sin...until you start pointing out someone else's...and then you hear that little voice saying what about that little lie you told? Or when you yelled at your kids, or spouse or parents? What about when you sat there gossiping? Or what about what you were just looking at on the computer? Or the way you looked at your co-worker? Or the bitterness you are holding onto because things have not turned out how you thought they should? Or when you...???

Some roots are so deep that you need extra help getting them out. I found that there were some roots that I had to take the spade after, and even then it was difficult to get it out. Some sins are so deep that we need to spend time in prayer, trying to figure out where it came from. We may need to go apologize to someone or confess what we have done.

I want to be like David who said "Create in my a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me (Psalm 51:10)."

1 John 1:9 says, "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness."

What weeds are growing in your garden?

What do you need to take time to clean out today?