Weeds

 

I’ve spent a great deal of time the past few weeks pulling crabgrass and weeds out of our front lawn. I try to keep weeds out of the yard but our neighbors are not yard people so their lawns are mostly weeds. With weeds all around us, I know our lawn is eventually a lost cause but I’m trying to hold on as best as I can for as long as I can. I cheat a little by spraying the nearest weeds on one side of us and offering to take care of that part of the neighbors’ lawn that borders ours on the other side.

 

When you live with weeds all around you, you will be forever trying to keep them out of your life. This is more than a landscaping issue – it’s a matter of our spiritual lives as well. We live in a society that largely goes against our Christian principles. We must be vigilant and resolute if we are to maintain our identity as followers of Jesus. The worldly weeds that intrude on our lives can grow rapidly if they are allowed to take hold, and removing them becomes much more difficult after a time.

 

Jesus prayed for His disciples before His death, “My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one. They are not of the world, even as I am not of it….As you sent me into the world, I have sent them into the world” (John 17:15,16,18). We are sent into the world to bring Jesus to those who need Him, to plant seeds that will produce fruitful lives. We need to uproot any weeds we find so that the seeds will have room to take hold. This is a never ending battle because the forces of evil are constantly sowing weed seeds. Sometimes it is necessary to “spray” the worldly weeds with the power of Jesus and the Word of God to keep them from encroaching any further.

 

Paul encourages us, “I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God – this is your spiritual act of worship. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind” (Romans 12:1-2). Being a nonconformist may cost us in this life but our obedient service will be recognized in heaven.

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The individual posts in this blog have been collected into a book, Reflections From the Basic Truths Blog.  It is available for free as an ebook through Barnes and Noble, https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/reflections-from-the-basic-truths-blog-james-yarmchuk/1147055811?ean=2940181202702, Apple Books, and multiple other book websites. It is available for a minimal charge on Amazon and can also be purchased as a paperback through them.