The Weeds of the Heart
It’s April.
And yesterday was one of those warm spring days that makes you want to be outdoors.
It was the perfect day to give the yard a little TLC after a long, dreary winter.
And that meant dealing with the latest onset of weeds:
Dandelions, ragweed, crabgrass—obnoxious little invaders, aren’t they?
They come out of nowhere and they appear everywhere—I’ve even seen weeds growing on the neighbor’s roof!
And it’s not surprising that weeds come to us courtesy of the Fall of Mankind.
After our first parents sinned, the Lord told them:
“Cursed is the ground because of you… It will produce thorns and thistles for you” (Genesis 3:17-18).
So then, by definition, weeds are contrary to nature—they weren’t part of God’s original design, like so many other of life’s troublesome nuisances.
Weeds come in uninvited and hinder the well-being of the normal, healthy vegetation—much to the frustration of the gardener.
And if they’re not immediately dealt with, they just take over.
Weeds of the Spiritual Variety
Jesus compared our hearts to a garden, and His Word, to seed sown there.
When there’s good soil (faith), His seed germinates within and new life springs up; but sadly, the new life does not grow unchallenged.
Just like weeds like to take root in our gardens, there’s also a variety that likes to take root in our hearts.
Jesus compared “the worries of this life, the deceitfulness of wealth and the desire for other things” to invasive weeds that crowd our hearts and “choke the word,” keeping God’s life in us from maturing.
It’s not uncommon in our once-fallen hearts for bad behaviors to try to creep back in and take over the place.
But we are God-appointed gardeners—the stewards of the inner life.
The Lord expects us to be vigilant and to aggressively uproot anything that does not belong in a Believer’s heart.
As it is written:
“Above all else, guard your heart, for from it flows the springs of life“ (Proverbs 4:23).
That means we should be constantly examining our thoughts, words, and behavior for anything detrimental to God’s good purpose for our lives.
This is why the Apostle Paul tells the Hebrews:
See to it that no “root of bitterness” springs up and causes trouble, and by it many become defiled (Hebrews 12:15).
Nasty attitudes like bitterness can take root in our hearts; and if we don’t take action, it can spring up and do a lot of damage—to us and those around us.
That’s what the Bible says:
Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander, as well as all types of evil behavior (Ephesians 4:31).
And if we keep with the whole gardening analogy, Paul is saying:
Grab the weed by the root and with the help of God’s Spirit, yank it out.
Sometimes weeds come up easy, but other times, they don’t come up without a fight!
Perhaps it’s best for us if we don’t give those pesky “weeds” of wrong thinking or bad behavior time to take root at all.
You’ve heard the saying:
You can’t stop the bird from flying over, but you can stop it from building a nest!
The happiest and most effective Christians are the disciplined gardeners.
They work daily and diligently, together with the Holy Spirit, to make the garden of their soul a delight to the Head Gardener and Owner of the Estate.
Everything within is hardy and healthy—a life heavy laden with good fruit.
So remember my friends…
Don’t just concentrate on the garden this springtime—watch out for the weeds within.
Catch them when they first pop up.
Make sure you get them by the root.
And stay at it; it’s relentless.
But let self-preservation be a worthy motivation; and let the love of God be your noble inspiration.
Weed and feed—it’s the story of the Christian life.
Pull up the bad; feed the good.
And there’s no better weed deterrent (and killer) than the the word of God.
So when the Lord comes to inspect your secret garden—the one no one can see, He will find yours…
Beautiful.
Fragrant.
Fruitful.
And when that’s the case, you know what He’s going to say:
Well done, good and faithful servant!
