The dreaded weeds had taken over my flower beds. Some were small and could be pulled quickly, yet others had deep roots that required extra work to remove them. By not tending to them in some time, I had a lot of work to do. As I began to pull the weeds, I realized that these weeds are much like the sin in our lives. Some areas can be pulled and released with ease, yet some are deeply rooted and require much more time, prayer and wise counsel from others.
We must be intentional about pulling our own weeds! It is only then that we are able to walk along side others showing sympathy and empathy in their time of need. We will have the attitude of “me too” because through our own process, we have gained humility which allows us to have understanding for others who struggle just like us. Have you ever seen someone throw out scripture as if they were beating you in the head with a bat? If we are not careful, we will actually turn others away from Jesus with our hate rather than walking with them in grace and love towards our Savior.
My tools came in handy on the weeds that had roots. They were able to get deep down in the dirt and loosen the root below and then be removed. The tools reminded me of the church. The body of people that come together to learn scripture and apply it. 2 Timothy 4:2 says, “Preach the word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction.” When we become members of God’s family, it is imperative that we get in a church that feeds us God’s truth and grow with a body of believers. We need the wise counsel from those that have experienced life and God’s truth in their lives. We too are to sharpen others as we grow in Christ sharing our experiences with others for praise, rebuking and correcting as Proverbs 27:17 says, “As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another.” It’s not easy to give up your desires and replace them with God’s will. We read over again in scripture how mighty men were stricken with fear and doubt about the calling God had placed in their lives. That is what makes our friendships essential for our growth. I love how Proverbs 27:6 says, “Wounds from a friend can be trusted, but an enemy multiplies kisses.” The way to be a powerful friend in Christ is to let God remove the weeds we have first.
I am not saying that “God is love and all things are OK!” No, I am saying that in order to encourage and support another to fulfill a life of following Christ, we first must get real with ourselves and our own sin. Our goal must be to seek a real relationship with Christ by spending alone time IN the bible allowing God to renew our minds to the things above. We must realize that without Jesus, we are nothing and able to do nothing. As we seek the face of God rather than His hand, He is faithful to show us His holiness which reveals our sinfulness. The comparison will bring us to our knees in humility. It is then we realize our need for our Savior to guide our life and our days. And by testing what scripture says, we realize God’s ways really do produce much fruit and so we desire to continue doing it His way.
When we speak words of God, are they fueled by hate and anger or are they seasoned with salt? Let us seek to know the true God who sent His precious son to cover us in our sin by His righteousness that can only be done by a pure love. Those that sin differently than us, may we get to know them to understand them. Focus on being humble before the Lord and let Him remove the weeds so we can see clearly how to love and share God’s truth with others.
2HIMIGO 