Time to Weed!

by Emily B. 
from Virtuous Daughters, June 2010~Volume 10, Number 3

​Gardening is an activity I really enjoy . . . That is, I enjoy most of the work related to gardening! Some parts of it aren’t as much fun, but they still play an important role in the end product, whether it is a beautiful flower garden or a bountiful harvest of vegetables. I think most gardeners would agree that weeding isn’t the most pleasant task in the garden, although it is necessary to maintain your garden’s beauty.

Nothing seems to ruin a garden as much as weeds do! They always seem to be coming up in all the wrong places. Every spring, when my family mulches our flower beds, we pull out lots of these. If the weed is one we missed from before, it is even harder to remove, with its root system taking a deep hold amongst the soil. If the weed is allowed to continue growing, it gets a deeper and deeper hold in the garden, and often forms seeds or runners . . . Spreading the problem even further than it was before. Weeding isn’t a one-time chore, either! Before long, we’ll spot a few more weeds poking up here or there. Time to go weed, again!

Yes, weeds can certainly destroy the beauty of a garden. But let’s stop a moment and think about this . . . Maybe we can learn some lesson from the weedy garden. Perhaps the weeds could be a picture of a larger and more important problem to deal with. Imagine your life as the garden . . . And the weeds as sins, marring the beauty of the Christian life. Thoughts of bitterness, envy, unforgiveness, or pride could be little ‘weed seeds,’ trying to take root in our hearts. The longer we allow these thoughts to grow, the harder they will be to get rid of . . . Just like the weeds. If we detect one of these weeds growing in our lives, 1 John 1:9 tells us how it can be removed. It says, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” A diligent gardener will be careful to make sure that weeds are swiftly removed, without allowing them to grow bigger and bigger. Proverbs 4:23 reminds us that diligence is also needed, to keep weeds from growing in our hearts--“Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.”

​The next time you pull a weed out of your garden, remember to guard against weeds in your life, too. Just as weeds can choke out the good plants, we will have a difficult time growing in the Lord if our lives are full of ‘weeds’! The weeding process may not be enjoyable, but the results of a life that is glorifying to God are worth it! By God’s grace and forgiveness, the weeds can be removed and we will be able to “...Grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To Him be glory both now and for ever. Amen.” (2 Peter 3:18)
​