LEARNING DAILY

 

Lamentations 3:40, Let us search out and examine our ways, and turn back to the Lord.

 

I have let our yard go too long without attention. With the lack of rain and the number of 100-degree days this summer, the only thing that grew were weeds. Last week I mowed, cut out rogue trees and pull weeds. In the lawn I just mowed over the persistent weeds that always seem to be there. But there was an area behind our shed that needed more attention. Normally my wife does not want me to pull weeds because I usually pull off what is seen without pulling the roots. I was careful this time and did get the roots. As I was working and sweating, I thought there had to be a lesson to be shared because of doing all this. Here goes….

 

Jesus spoke about weeds mixing in with the good crops being planted; He called them tares. He also spoke about soil and what was produced by the different soils in the Parable of the Sower. In that parable Jesus warned of the soil where thorns grow up with the good seed sown by the Sower; they eventually choke out the good seed. Weeds just seem to grow naturally or easily and need to uprooted in order to have a nice beautiful and fruitful lawn or garden. Jesus’ teaching reminds us that “weeds” will grow in the lives of people as well. Believers are to pull those weeds out by the roots when noticed.

 

Let me mention a few weeds to be conscious of. The first one that comes to mind is the “weed of selfishness or self-centeredness”. It comes from the soil of one’s life who has received the teachings of Christ but may have not put down deep in their heart as he desires. When things come up, that individual deals with the way the old self would instead of dealing with it the way Christ would deal with it. As Believers, we need the fruit of the Holy Spirit to deal with these problems. Pull up that weed, forgive, move on and allow the Fruit of the Spirit grow and flourish in our lives.

 

Another weed is the “weed of distractions”. These weeds are the things that can pull us away from the path God wants us to walk. We have written about those things that cause us to be too busy to read/study/meditate on God’s Word, to pray, and to serve God. Other distractions are trying to please others, being overly concerned about what others think of them or trying to find significance in wealth, things, and achievements.

 

One more weed – the “weed of deceit”. There are far too many false teachers in the world who try to mislead even the elect by their false words. It is the old teaching by the serpent in the Garden of Eden who said, “Did God really say…?” The tactic to mislead and redirect all who will listen, to get them to believe God really did not mean what He said.

 

I wonder if any farmers reading this can give me an estimate of how much of the yield is cut back because of weeds left unattended in a field.  Jesus told His listeners where seed falls on good ground, the yield can be thirtyfold, sixtyfold or a hundredfold. I know I need to get busy and pull weeds out of my life so people see and know that something is different about me. I want them to ask what that difference is so I can tell them about Jesus. I need Jesus Christ to do work in me, pulling the weeds up by the root that need to be pulled. So do you. All soul has weeds. All lives have weeds. I wonder if it is a matter if just the exposed part of the weed gets pulled off or the root of the weed is pulled up as well.

 

I believe my wife has made her point with me! Do you understand it?