Weeding Time

 Don’t be misled: No one makes a fool of God. What a person plants, he will harvest. The person who plants selfishness, ignoring the needs of others—ignoring God!—harvests a crop of weeds. All he’ll have to show for his life is weeds! But the one who plants in response to God, letting God’s Spirit do the growth work in him, harvests a crop of real life, eternal life. (Galatians 6:7-8)

A crop of weeds - we all have a few weeds, don't we? What we don't want is for those weeds to overgrow what God is planting within us. A crop suggests there has been a gross over-growth of those ugly things in our lives. Planting is important - what gets sown is what gets reaped. Planting in response to what God asks in our lives is of the greatest importance - for this is what produces the harvest we really desire.

As we think about ways we allow 'weeds' to be planted in our lives, it really all begins and ends with this idea of selfishness. Ignoring the needs of others - focusing primarily on self and what it is that will please 'us' is at the core of what God calls 'weed production'. I know how hard this might be to admit, but when we get our eyes on ourselves more than on others, God isn't willing to allow us to remain that 'inwardly focused' for very long. Why? When we only see 'us' to the extent we shut others out, we aren't allowing the growth he desires. This is the growth that will actually show a hurting and messed up world that he wants to plant good seed into their lives, as well.

If selfishness is at the core of all these 'weeds' in our lives, we need to allow a little 'weeding' to occur until this crop of weeds is finally overgrown by the gracious goodness of God. I have learned you can pull weeds in the yard, but you have to do it repeatedly. You never fully get rid of 100% of those little buggers. Those weeds have a way of reappearing in places I didn't even focus on before. This is why it is so important to allow someone more aware of where they exist to be in control of the weeding process. You and I don't always know we are focusing on self, but allow God's Spirit access to your life long enough and you might just be surprised to see how many 'weeds' he manages to uproot! Just sayin!

Please get rid of those weeds

If you were to look at the yards of my neighbors around me right now, you'd see a massive overgrowth of weeds in more than a few yards. As much as we try to keep our homes free of weeds, they seem to come up. One neighbor who neglects their overgrowth can actually 'support' the growth of those little nuisances in the yards of all the other neighbors! You know, if we stop to think about it, the 'weeds' we tolerate in our spiritual life are equally as 'prolific'. The ones we associate with can actually be affected by their overgrowth in our lives - causing their lives to become 'infested' with those weeds if they aren't quick to notice those seeds drifting their way!

Don’t be misled: No one makes a fool of God. What a person plants, he will harvest. The person who plants selfishness, ignoring the needs of others—ignoring God!—harvests a crop of weeds. All he’ll have to show for his life is weeds! But the one who plants in response to God, letting God’s Spirit do the growth work in him, harvests a crop of real life, eternal life. (Galatians 6:7-8 MSG)

Weeds don't require planting - they just pop up! They don't require 'maintenance' and fertilizing - they just grow wherever they find the place to grow. They are 'opportunistic' - they don't really need a place of their own because they are quite content in yours! We might not even notice there are a few 'weeds' in our lives, but when we engage the help of others, we might just begin to see things a little differently. We just see the 'green' there and figure it is all 'good' growth, but when the one who sees our lives with 'fresh eyes' looks at us, they see signs of 'weedy undergrowth' - which if left unattended will become the 'weedy overgrowth' before long!

While none of us is totally comfortable with 'outside eyes' focusing on our lives, it may be necessary to engage the help of another to actually begin to notice where 'weedy growth' has taken root in our lives. We don't always see the things that are right in front of us, do we? Sometimes we do, but we ignore it because it is too much trouble to deal with it. One of my neighbors is that way - I think they think if they ignore their weeds long enough, they will somehow just 'disappear'. Nothing could be further from the truth, though, for even long after they wither in the heat, the seeds are left behind for that time when the rains will come that will spark the new growth of the next 'bad harvest'.

This may seem like a kind of 'lame' post today, but consider this for just a moment - whatever sin we tolerate to the least degree in our lives today will probably eventually grow into astronomical proportions at a later time. Until we deal with the weed, there will always be another seed. One seed is capable of multiplied seeds. Each seed producing another round of 'weedy growth' in our lives. The only way to deal with sin is to rid ourselves of it once and for all. It might just take us engaging the help of another because we don't have the wherewithal to deal with the root of the problem on our own. It is okay to ask for help. Until the root is removed, the potential for regrowth is still there. 

God isn't going to just spray a little bit of weed killer in our lives and call it 'done'. He wants us to get at the root - not on our own, but with his help and the help of others he places in our lives to help us expose that root and get it out. The Sunday sermon may have been a little bit like 'weed killer' - helping you to halt the growth of the 'weed' in your life, but the Sunday sermon only helped curb the growth. There must be ongoing maintenance - observing for any sign of regrowth and tending to it immediately. The seeds are still there - but they don't have to take hold again if we allow the Spirit of God to be our diligent watchman! Just sayin!

A little weeding time

Have you ever observed just how easily weeds grow and how terribly much work tending a garden seems to require?  It just does not seem fair at how easily the weeds sprout up all over the place, while coaxing one rose bush to bloom requires dead-heading, careful watering, and regular fertilizing.  A typical lawn may require hundreds of dollars a year just in "weed-preventer" chemicals!  What is up with all these weeds?

God can pour on the blessings in astonishing ways so that you're ready for anything and everything, more than just ready to do what needs to be done. As one psalmist puts it, "He throws caution to the winds, giving to the needy in reckless abandon. His right-living, right-giving ways never run out, never wear out."  This most generous God who gives seed to the farmer that becomes bread for your meals is more than extravagant with you. He gives you something you can then give away, which grows into full-formed lives, robust in God, wealthy in every way, so that you can be generous in every way, producing with us great praise to God.  (2 Corinthians 9:8-11 The Message)

The weeds never seem like a blessing, do they?  In fact, they almost make us curse!  I have learned some very interesting lessons from my weeds, though.  There are weeds which are very green - pluck them up and the lawn or garden seems to have "bald" patches which once appeared all nice and green.  Some are deceiving us with their pretty flowers - lulling us into admiring them, while all the while, they are preparing to let loose of hundreds of "weed-seeds" in a moment of time!  Then we have the weeds which don't really seem to be evident - but step on one of their spiny "burs" and you will soon be aware of their presence.  Lest you think I am only referring to the weeds in my outside garden and lawn, I am not.  There are these similar kinds of weeds in my "inner garden" which take over if not addressed!


Our passage today reflects on the blessings of God - extravagant blessings.  Yet, when Paul presents this idea of God pouring out blessings in astonishing ways, he is referring to the "giving" in order to have something to "give away".  Some may think it odd of me to get a "blessing" out of weeding my garden, but in some respects, it is very rewarding.  Sure, the lawn looks a little barren for a while when those green, leafy weeds are no longer firmly rooted in the soil.  But...it is this "barren" soil which gives room to the grass to grow as it is intended to, spreading out, taking root, and providing a rich and refreshing cover of green.  


The burs are a different matter.  I have to get "pricked" a few times before I actually get to the root of those menacing tentacles of pain!  The cocklebur weed is a tenacious thing - spreading out in all kinds of directions, weaving itself carefully into the blades of grass, until it has a firm root.  Then, before long, it puts out all these spiny little burs.  As time passes, these burs harden and become a menace to anyone who gets one attached to their sock, pant hem, or the tufts of an animals fur.  They become a source of irritation and try as you might, they just seem to attach more firmly whenever you make a move!


Now, what do those burs have to teach me?  First, they take root fast and "spread out", getting into areas they shouldn't.  Sin is like that - it spreads if not weeded-out quickly!  Second, although unnoticed at first, the burs make it quite evident in the end!  Sin cannot be hidden long - the "burs" will prick at us.  The more we "worry" on the burs, the more they seem to get entwined in our emotions.  Our faithful God is quick to point out the sin when it is not yet deeply rooted - weeding it out early prevents it from being a "bur" to be reckoned with later on!


What about the weeds which lull us into admiring them with their beautiful show of brightly colored flowers?  As a kid, I would walk the desert and find the wildflowers.  I never realized they were mostly weeds!  They "displayed" themselves as pretty flowers!  Sin is deceptive this way - putting up a good show at first, but secretly ready to release hundreds of "seeds".  The seeds produce fresh doubt, fear, worry, shame, guilt, and the list goes on.  Lulled by their seeming appearance of being "okay", we miss the "outgrowth" of their seeds!  Weeding them out, instead of admiring their "appearance" of being "okay", prevents seeds which will produce countless other issues in our lives.


So, getting back to our passage - God "gives" in order for us to have something to "give out".  Even the lesson of the weeds is a blessing which was given in order to be given out.  If it speaks to you - awesome!