And their roots can be deep. And they can choke the life out of our fruits of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, and self-control when we allow them to grow.
Eternal Perspectives by Sally Bair
Stubborn roots
One day during my gardening days, I cleaned out the asparagus bed to find some long-rooted thistles growing close to the stalks. I had to use a spade to dig out the stubborn thistle roots, resulting in damage to the asparagus plants. Pulling weeds takes time, muscle, and energy. And it seems that even during droughts when a gardener’s plants have withered and died, the weeds keep growing. The never-ending task, however, does result in the worthwhile reward of healthy, tasty veggies.
Weed pulling began in the Garden of Eden after our ancestors, Adam and Eve, disobeyed God. That’s when their ideal life of receiving God’s constant provision ended and they had to begin working hard, “by the sweat of their brow,” for their food. Let’s face it. Our human nature tells us that if we had been there, we too would have disobeyed.
The necessity of pulling weeds illustrates a biblical principle about the human heart, that of clinging to our stubborn roots of sin. The Israelites, while wandering in the wilderness after their Red Sea deliverance from slavery, wanted the taste of God’s promised milk and honey but refused to pluck out the stubborn, sinful weeds in their hearts. They wanted to experience His signs and wonders but rejected His command for obedience and worship.
We’re all susceptible to stubbornness. Perhaps we don’t worship golden calves as the Israelites did, but we might grumble and complain, wanting things our own way. In so doing, we deny our need for God’s love and guidance. When we show the world how accomplished we are, how powerful, we tend to feel so good about ourselves that we push God aside.
Stubborn pride results from our selfish thoughts and habits. The longer we cling to them, the harder it is to rid ourselves of them. God offers us choices. When we choose His ways over our own, He gently pulls out the stubborn weeds in our hearts. He never forces us. Realizing that our ways aren’t working should bring repentance, turning away from the very thing God wants us to avoid.
“If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us.” (1 John 1:9-10.
Lord, thank You for Your patience. Forgive us for allowing the weeds of sin to grow in our hearts. May Your Word and Spirit draw us away from our stubborn pride toward Your everlasting love, peace, and joy. In Jesus’ name, amen.
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