Weeds

My mom loves all sorts of plants, many kinds of flowers, shrubs, trees – green things standing in the dirt 🙈, she can find the beauty in plant specifies of multiple kinds.

When we drive past a gardening store, her eyes immediately light up. If it was possible to see actual thoughts forming in her mind’s eye they would read, “must have for my garden home.”

There are times I will hear my mom talking to the plants in the house. Yes, for all those plant lovers out there who do the same, you are “not alone” in your discourse with your plants. I used to find the action super weird, until I found myself doing the same 😆.

Today, as I walked in the kitchen my mom pulled my hand and with excitement gestured that we go outside to see “something”. Her eyes twinkled in delight and to view her discovery we went.

We went to the side of the house where she showed me her fern plant that not only recovered from a gruel winter, but also ended up bearing much “fruit”. Mrs. Fern reproduced and to my mom’s delight, had off-springs growing right beside her. My mom was ecstatic.

As I looked at the plant I noticed there were blossoms growing on top of it which made me say, “wow, it buds mom?”

She responded with a lesson I will never forget.

“That is weed”

“Weed”, I asked, “So pretty?”

“Yes” she said, “Weeds can be pretty, look at Dandelions. Weeds also grow quickly and are wild. Weeds”, she continued “also chokes the life out of anything they come in contact with.”

Wow, I thought. Say no more mom. I’ve got to write this down. The spiritual lessons began to reel in my mind on how we as humans encounter weeds all the time and how we definitely need both Holy Spirit and the Word to help us discern the different weeds we encounter and how to meander through.

As soon as my mom identified the weeds beside her prized possession, she immediately plucked it out. She did not leave the task for another day, she did not ignore it or look at it nonchalantly, she plucked that bad boy up and cast it aside.

Per the online dictionary, a weed can be defined as a wild plant growing where it is not wanted and in competition with cultivated plants.

Now let’s dissect the lessons of the weed.

Weeds grow quickly

Have you ever noticed how fast a weed grows and how quickly it multiplies. Lies can be like that. At times it appears to spread faster than light and grow stronger than the truth. Note I said “appears”. While weeds grow fast, they seldom have good root system and so they can be dispelled with constant reminders of the truth. We must know the truth in order to be set free from the lies. The truth is lasting and in the end, always wins out (no matter what the world will say). Additionally, because there isn’t good root system in most weeds, storms or “challenges”that come will about tend to make the weed uprooted. They are not usually strong enough to handle issues.

Do not be discouraged by those who appear to be taking leaps and bounds in their faith. A lot of times they can be professing godliness but denying the power of God. An oak tree takes many years to develop, it has to have a good root system. God has you exactly where you need to be – building character takes time. Pruning my friend, is constant and gradual.

Weeds appear quite beautiful

A popular saying goes “not all that glistens is good.” Not everyone that appears righteous is. Jesus in His discourse with His disciples reminds us that many will prophesy in His name. He goes on to say that many will do signs and wonders. Many will do great things but at the end, He shall tell them to depart, He knows them not. We must be sober and vigilant friends, there are many wolves who walk around in sheep’s clothing.

In a parable Jesus shared that a farmer sowed seeds for harvest. When the seeds started blossoming, the workers noticed that weeds were coming up. The workers wanted to uproot everything but the farmer advised to wait until harvest time when separation would yield greater effectiveness. Had they uprooted the weeds during growth of the crop, they would end up loosing the crop in the process.

Many times it looks as though the “weed” in our lives are getting away with their destructive acts but we can rest assured, the Lord of the harvest will gather them all up at the appointed time and cast them aside into eternal damnation.

Weeds suck the life out of other plants

Final lesson, be careful not to have your light zapped by the workers of darkness. Paul to the church in Rome admonishes them to be transformed by the renewing of their minds and not to conform to the world’s patterns. Because we have all been born in a fallen world, it can be much easier to succumb to the deeds of the flesh than it is to submit to the Lordship of Jesus.

We must constantly feed our spirits on the Word of God. We must practice daily the discipline of prayer. As often as we can, we should also incorporate other spiritual disciplines in our lives. We cannot afford to let the “weeds” of society uproot us from our position in Christ, or make us shun the workings of Holy Spirit.

Solomon warns us to guard our hearts because as Jeremiah says, they can be desperately wicked. We must allow Holy Spirit to be the sentry and the Word of God our strainer of good and evil. The devil’s aim is to separate us from God and so He will continue to throw darts our way, but my friend, once we have on the whole armor of God, we will be able to resist the evil one, and having done all, to stand.

Do not fear the weeds which will grow near you.

They will show up.

Sometimes, they are so envious of your progress they want to suck the life out and make you die. Other times, they are so jealous of you they begin by imitating your works and then “showing” you out. Still yet, they some may want to intimate you and make you feel as though God has forgotten about you based on where they “appear to be.”

This all friend, is what they do. Greater is He inside of You, than he behind the weeds.

Keep your hand steady to the plow. Do not look to the right or to the left. Focus on Jesus, the Author and Finisher of your faith, who for the joy that was set before Him, endured the cross, despising the shame and is now set down at the right hand of the throne of God.

Let’s remain connected to the Vine beloved! Only through Him can we remain alive and produce lasting fruit.

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