Weeds…

Ironically, as I write this as it is snowing in good ol’ Laramie Wyoming. But last week was beautiful. A week that reminded me why I live in a place where it snows in May- a place where some would say “the air hurts your face!” I live here because in my opinion the summers could not be more perfect. We have had several days of beautiful sunshine, calm skies, and perfect temperatures already! They were the kind of days you could sit outside all day basking in the beauty of God’s creation and soaking in that Vitamin D. Grass is turning green, trees are budding, spring flowers are peeking out of the ground, soon to grace us with their elegance.

But of course with spring and all the new life that surrounds us also comes the growth of weeds. Yuck. I love to garden. I loving seeing something that starts a small, insignificant seed turn into a huge plant that brings so much charm into the world. Each plant is unique, each bloom special and alluring. Unfortunately, you can’t get the beauty without a little work, and in the spring that always includes lots and LOTS of weeding.

The weed that is the bane of my existence is crabgrass. Why does grass have to struggle to thrive in my lawn, but grown everywhere I don’t want it to? I wish I had an answer for you, alas every spring the first green to show its face is always the crabgrass in my flower beds. And this year it was especially prolific…..(Imagine my heavy sigh here.)

The infuriating thing about crab grass is that if you don’t get deep, and I mean DEEP, into the soil the grass will be back in the blink of an eye. You may think this is an exaggeration….but I assure you I have become well versed in the evil ways of weeds in the last few years of home ownership. If you think you can just pull the grass blades off at the soil line and call it good you will be sorely mistaken. The visible portion of this plant is merely the beginning of its network. It is determined to stick around….luckily I am equally as determine to remove this pesky plant from my life! This week I dug and dug, finding roots that were sometimes feet long! Each time I thought I was through I would dig down one more time, just to be sure, and find MORE roots! The top of each plant looks harmless, just a few blades of grass, but each blade of grass represents a complex and circuitous system of roots. Roots that have burrowed deep within the soil to insure the plant will be safe for weeks, years, decades to come….If you can’t tell this weed is slightly bothersome to me.

It hit me as I worked to remove the weeds this week, that we often have “weeds” in our hearts. And these weeds can have many different appearances.

• These could be weeds that look like idols in our lives- they look pretty and green at first, but all too soon the roots have a strangle hold on our souls. They take control of our thoughts, emotions, time and prevent us from letting anything else grow. When truth tries to grow in the soil of our heart it is quickly choked out by the prolific and dominating roots of our idol.
• For some, weeds may look like lies that the enemy has planted in our hearts. When watered by our doubts and fears they spread like wild-fire, inundating our hearts, quickly taking up the most prime real estate. When left alone, they overrun the landscape of our hearts, kicking out the truth that is not getting watered. These weeds too have roots that with time quietly burrow deeper and deeper, making sure they will not be easily removed.
• Perhaps for you there is one specific weed that just drives you to distraction. Fear. Loneliness. Anger. Name your weed here: ________________  And similar to the examples above these weeds can grow quickly and without regard to their surroundings. They grow on every surface when left unchecked. Roots spreading quickly, keeping the seeds of truth from growing deep roots. These weeds make sure they are the dominate part of your heart, leaving little room for anything else.

Now let’s be real- it is unrealistic to think we can do the job of weeding one time and never have to worry about our weeds again. As long as we live in this world we will struggle with “weeds”. Until Jesus’ glorious return we will not be without them, because they are a product of sin and will continue to run rampant in this world.  So logic then follows that we have a job to do. Weeding our hearts. And this is a job that must be done daily.

It’s important to note that we can’t do this on our own. If it was just me working to remove the weeds in my life I would end up just pulling the plant off at the soil line. It would look better, and my fickle heart would likely be convinced I had finished the work. But weeds are unfortunately much more deceptive. They grow roots deep into our hearts that sometimes we are completely unaware of! I mean hey – we pulled that weed up right? I can’t see it anymore, so that must mean its gone! But while the obvious evidence of the weed has been removed, the roots continue to thrive in our hearts, sending out new shoots that invade different and more vulnerable parts of our lives.

What we need is a Master Gardener. (John 15:1-17) One who can see weeds for what they are, and help us dig deep enough to remove even the most stubborn roots. We need the ultimate gardener, God, to come along side us and point out the weeds in our lives. He will gently show us where to start digging, even get down on His hands and knees to help us in our task. He isn’t concerned about getting a little dirt on His hands, since He already knows what’s growing in our hearts to begin with! He isn’t afraid to do a little hard work, even a lot, if the case calls for it! Because He never gives up on our hearts, no matter how inundated they are with weeds. God tenderly and thoroughly does the work of removing the weeds in our hearts, down to the deepest roots. And as we labor alongside God, our hearts can become a place where truth and love thrive, and the weeds are ripped out by the roots!

Without the work of weed removal we can never hope to have anything good and worth while grow! Lets been honest here, weeds may be green and take up space, but they aren’t exactly pretty to look at. As long as those weeds are taking up space in our hearts, they leave very little room for characteristics like love, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control to grow! (Galatians 5:22-23) So lets ask the Holy Spirit to show us where we may have weeds growing. Lets get down on our knees and start working with God to remove the roots of our idols and the enemies lies. Making room for beauty to emerge. As long as we live in this world, this work will continue. Weeds thrive  in a world like ours, filled with sin, and we need to do the job of pulling those suckers out! They are destructive and distract us from our real purposes here on earth. God has great plans to grow a beautiful garden in your heart my friend! Showing the world what His love and tender care look like! But if we won’t do the work of removing the weeds, our gardens growth is stunted; sometimes stopped all together. Our job is this simple- Ask God to show us our weeds and start pulling them right alongside our faithful and loving God. Lets dig deep into the soil of our lives and give those weeds a run for their money

Weeding is not a one time job, but when we are faithful to work on this task daily, the process begins to change. We begin to notice the weeds when they are smaller and easier to remove. The roots haven’t yet had a chance to tunnel as deep, making our work lighter. When we are faithful to ask God to “weed” our hearts each day, the treasure of God-like character will begin to grow actively in our lives! And the beauty that follows will be well worth! When the soil of your heart is fertile the seeds of truth have great room to grow! The fruits you yield will be sweet and life giving- A garden that points directly to the Master Gardener! What a great privilege to show the world what a loving and faithful Gardener we serve.  One who gives us strength to pull our weeds so we may live lives of great purpose and love for Him. He always gives us just enough grace for today….and especially to tackle todays weeds….