Weeds...

Lately we have had a problem with weeds... 

You know, the kind that just seem to spring up overnight.  The kind that appear out of nowhere after you have just weeded the flower bed, applied fertilizer, watered well, and even sang to the little plants. 

Our weeds have names such as disrespect, discontentment, grumbling, slothfulness and ungratefulness.  They even seem to grow right next to the wonderful flowers of love, joy, thankfulness, helpfulness, respect and patience. 

These weeds have a way of working into our hearts and minds, frequently leaving us frazzled, anxious, frustrated, short-tempered, snappy, and harsh.  It seems they can so quickly strangle the beautiful flowers that were right next to them.

In thinking on this I was reminded of the teaching I heard recently from Angela Thomas.  She taught from Matthew 13 on the parable of the sower and the different soils.  The truth I walked away with that night was I have to fight for the soil of my heart to be good, fertile soil.  I have to fight to be good soil, to make the condition of my  heart ready to receive the Word of God.  I have to fight to keep the soil of my heart from becoming hard and rocky.  I have to fight to have good soil that roots can go down deep into, so those roots can draw nourishment from the nutrients deep in the soil.  I have to fight to keep the cares and worries of this life from snatching away the seeds that are planted in my heart.  I have to fight for the condition of my heart!

How do I do this?  I tend daily (sometimes hourly, many times minute by minute) to the condition of my heart.  I read, study, and pray God's Word.  I pray for God to make my heart a vessel fit for His presence to dwell in.  I pray for God to cleanse me of all unrighteousness, and to fill me with His Holy Spirit.  I pray for my heart to be empty of the stuff of the world and to be filled with the fullness of Christ, to be filled to overflowing with His joy. 

Practically, I commit to spending time in His Word and in prayer daily.  I intentionally find things to be thankful for throughout the day... I especially find things to give thanks for when the weeds begin to start to choke me.  It seems that praise can be a bit like weed killer, they start to shrivel and die!  I can choose joy, even when the days are hard.  I choose joy by focusing my heart and mind on eternity, on the hope of experiencing and enjoying the glory of God in heaven one day.  I endure just as Jesus did, for the joy set before me, for the hope of an eternity spent with my Savior. 

Angela left us with some questions that night...

What if...

• We pursued God so that all the fullness of the deity dwelled in us? (see Colossians chapters 1 and 2)
• We staked our whole life, every breath we took, on the very Word of God?
• We let God raise us up in every place He's assigned us to, for His glory?
• We really lived as women on assignment, as His representatives, to bring His joy?

I think there would be fewer weeds... and more JOY!


I went to Bible study this morning and we sang "Take My Life and Let It Be"... this phrase from the lyrics keeps coming back to me.  I think it is a key to less weeds and more joy...

Take my moments and my days, 

Let them flow in ceaseless praise.

Ceaseless praise is bound to result in joy, for our eyes will no longer be fixed on ourselves and all the weeds, but rather on Him and His great love for us.

Ceaseless praise... to the One who deserves all our praise...