Weeds

Last week I spent several hours weedeating around my house and around the campus of the school where I work in preparation for the start of the new school year. Due to a drought here the past several months there has been little need to mow the grass. In fact, I do not remember the last time I needed to mow my yard. Remarkably, though, the weeds have done just fine. So fine, in fact, that some of the weeds I encountered last week were too big for my weedeater. These weeds had strong roots and thick–almost tree-like–stems. To remove them I needed to use a small hatchet or give repeated kicks with the heel of my shoe to pry them loose.

I was reminded as I was weedeating of the weeds of sin in my life. Even when I am going through a spiritual drought–actually, especially when I am going through a spiritual drought–the weeds of sin seem to have no problem. Like literal weeds, they crop up in every crack and corner, sometimes even right in the middle of the main sidewalk. If I am diligent to kill them right away, they don’t last very long, but if I ignore them for a while their roots grow deeper and they become stronger. Then it becomes more difficult–and more painful–to remove them from my life. It takes longer, and it takes either greater effort or more violent action to pry them loose.

God’s Word is spiritual water. Jesus is living water. I need Jesus and I need the Bible to replenish my soul. Along with that I need to be attentive every day to the weeds trying to sprout up in my life…and yank them out right away before they have any chance to get established.