Sunday, April 11, 2010
Have you done any weed killing lately? Last week I took on the dreaded task of cleaning out the flower planters on my porch and deck. It was time to get them ready for spring planting. Removing the debris of old plants is key to the long term success of new plants. Donning my garden gloves, I dug into each bed yanking out the scrawny leftovers of last summer’s vegetation. For the most part, I was able to remove the clods of dirt, dead flowers, and their roots with ease, but for some I had to use my trowel to work through the soil and release the scraggly roots. However, in each of my seven planters, I had centered a plant called a “Dracaena Spike” that served as the showcase of the container. Last summer they stood tall and spread out like a shady fan over the other flowers in the planter. But after the neglect of the winter, the spike had taken deep roots that ran throughout the planter creating a tough web of strands. In every planter as I attempted to pull out the spike, I broke it off at the root and no matter how hard I pulled, I couldn’t remove the root. I was having a showdown with the showcase! I was beginning to understand the meaning of the plant’s name: “dracaena” is a derivation of “dragon!” I had to trace the stubborn core loosening the “legs” a few at a time. Then I used the trowel to finally yank out the root. It took a lot of effort, but I finally had planters with fresh, loose soil ready for new growth.
While going through this process I was reminded of how strongholds take root in our lives. These strongholds begin as thoughts and emotions that turn into actions and soon become spiritual obstacles that settle into the patterns of our lives. They eventually spread and choke out the beautiful seedlings. They become rooted in our character overtaking the good soil. In the Parable of the Sower (Matthew 13:3-28) we see that the abundant crop comes from the “good ground.” In the parable, the stones and weeds choked off the seed (the word of God) planted by the sower (Jesus). “Good ground” is clear of debris and can bear fruit. Jesus described weeds as worries and deceitfulness that prevent us from growing in our faith. He said the “evil one” snatches away the good seed. Removing the weeds in our life is hard and often requires help. We must persevere in getting to the root of sin, to the stubborn core, until we finally have fresh, loose soil ready for new growth in Christ. Do you need to do some spiritual weed killing?
"The seed cast on good earth is the person who hears and takes in the News, and then produces a harvest beyond his wildest dreams." Matthew 13:23
While going through this process I was reminded of how strongholds take root in our lives. These strongholds begin as thoughts and emotions that turn into actions and soon become spiritual obstacles that settle into the patterns of our lives. They eventually spread and choke out the beautiful seedlings. They become rooted in our character overtaking the good soil. In the Parable of the Sower (Matthew 13:3-28) we see that the abundant crop comes from the “good ground.” In the parable, the stones and weeds choked off the seed (the word of God) planted by the sower (Jesus). “Good ground” is clear of debris and can bear fruit. Jesus described weeds as worries and deceitfulness that prevent us from growing in our faith. He said the “evil one” snatches away the good seed. Removing the weeds in our life is hard and often requires help. We must persevere in getting to the root of sin, to the stubborn core, until we finally have fresh, loose soil ready for new growth in Christ. Do you need to do some spiritual weed killing?
"The seed cast on good earth is the person who hears and takes in the News, and then produces a harvest beyond his wildest dreams." Matthew 13:23
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