Weeds.

They are terrible things. Deep roots, spreading for miles it would seem.  They spring up everywhere, almost as if they were planted.  There are always a few to pull.

A momentary stroll through the garden beds can turn into hours of pulling, digging, and uncovering.  They love to hide in places that are just out of sight.

Sin is a weed. It grows while the garden is not being tended. It thrives in soil that has not seen the gardener’s feet for some time. It starts small, a mere leaf peaking its head through the moist soil, but as soon as you turn your back it grows into a hearty plant. It sucks the nutrients out of the soil and chokes the good plants until they can produce no fruit at all.

Our enemy sows sin. He plants it when we are not paying attention. It grows while we are not minding our fields and our soil. It can be difficult to spot because it starts small. Like a blade of bermuda at first it looks like just another leaf, but soon it is obviously much more than surface deep. It steals our energy, our spirit, it robs our nutrients.  It makes us unfruitful.

Expose it early.  Pull the tender shoot up and expose the roots.  Confess. Repent. Cast it into the hot sun and let it wither and die.  Be mindful and inspect your soil often.  Be diligent to purge the weeds and the plants will bear more fruit.

Discipline is a word that is seldom discussed and even less frequently implemented. It’s difficult. It involves inspecting our soil often. Rooting out the evil that would master us. Praying that God would expose the weeds that we can’t see. Convicting us of our sin.

We have to learn how to tend the garden.

We’ll never get it totally right. Just like we will never have a weed free, problem free, bountiful harvest. But we must always be diligent.

Discipline in weeding. Discipline in life.

A little random but true.  Have a blessed weekend.

-Keith