Beware of how fast weeds can overtake you!

When I was growing up, I lived on 10 acres and enjoyed helping take care of the land.  As a matter of fact, I enjoyed it so much that I took a position as a “cabana boy” for a couple local of businessmen while in high school.  For those who may not recognize the term “cabana boy”, I took care of many of the needs of the family’s property on a daily basis from small construction projects, to car maintenance, to lawn care, to weeding the gardens.  As I’ve grown older, I’ve “lost that loving feeling” for taking care of our property and thus hire many of the services needed.  At times, I question my decision.  However, in the end, I tell people to do the things they’re most passionate of which this I’m not, and look at it as if I am supporting other families by hiring it done.

So, this season, we’re a bit behind on the typical landscaping.  My lawn care guy has been with us for several years and knows that we are typically in no rush and want him to take care of his other clients first.  Over the past few weeks, however, we’ve begun to see weeds sprout up quickly all throughout the flower beds.  We began pulling a few by hand; however, they had kind of gotten away from us.  So, it was time for the Roundup.    Yes, using nearly ½ gallon of Roundup, we doused weeds all around the flower beds.  In areas where there were only a few weeds, the Roundup worked great.  However, there is this one area right by our front door (pictured above) that the weeds have really taken over.  While I doused this area pretty good last week, I noticed this morning that these weeds were still growing strong.  Not only were they taking over the flower bed, they were taking over the grassy lawn area just adjacent to the flower bed.  It’s actually become a bit concerning as I believe we may be doing longer term damage to the lawn.  So, I’ll likely call my lawn care guy to discuss the need to get his crews here sooner than later.

Now, as I was reflecting this morning, I was really struck at how fast these weeds were taking over.  I began to draw parallels in the Christian walk to weeds.  You likely recall the parables of the soils and weeds in Matthew 13.  If not, I encourage you to read this chapter.  A key highlight for today is that there were four types of soil and only one produced a crop.  In another, the weeds choked the plants and they didn’t survive.  Later in the chapter, Jesus talks about allowing weeds and wheat to grow together until the harvest symbolizing the need for “believers” and “unbelievers” to live among one and other.  However, given this, at what point do we need to be concerned about the weeds starting to take over and what is our defense when they do?  More specifically, if our mind is the “garden”, the question becomes “are the weeds taking over our garden”?  Additionally, like today’s pictures, do we recognize how quickly they are taking over?

In his sermon, Faithful While Frustrated, Pastor @Aaron Brockett of Traders Point Christian Church states, “When your thoughts get poisoned, it’s over.”  He stresses the importance of what I’ll refer to as “weed control”.

2 Corinthians 10:3-5 says: “For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds.  We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.”

A couple of key portions of these verses for me are: “weapons we fight with” and “we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.”  When we look at putting on the full armor of God, the only offensive weapon He gave us was The Word.  So, our primary means for “weed control” is God’s Word.  Without planting the seeds of His Word in our hearts and minds, we’ll have great difficulty resisting the growth of weeds in our gardens.

Looking at the later part of these verses “we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ”, we are commanded out of obedience to take control of our thoughts.  Philippians 4:8 says: “Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.”   These things that are “true, noble, right, pure, lovely, and admirable” are found in His Word not of this world.

How many of us have weeds like “worry, anxiety, impatience, selfish ambition, anger, jealousy, idolatry, and the likes” growing in our gardens.  Taking it further, how many of us truly recognize how fast these weeds are growing and becoming “strongholds” in our lives and in our families?

Like today’s picture of our lawn, if our minds are not properly maintained by a steady diet of His Word and we don’t consciously take captive our thoughts, the weeds will take over our garden.  Once they have taken over, there may be some longer term damage, and the amount of “weed killer” required must be increased significantly in order to gain back control over these weeds or destructive thoughts.

Do you need some “weed control”?  Pick up His Word today and begin allowing it to penetrate your heart and minds.

Have a fantastic day!  Blessings, Chris

One response to “Beware of how fast weeds can overtake you!”

1. Joyce Hanlon says:

   07/04/2013 at 4:04 pm

   Chris – Good to see the great picture of you and your family!! And I loved the story on Weeds. It’s always rewarding to see the evidence of a believer in witnessing print. God Bless you and your family. Joyce Hanlon

   Reply