Weeds

I have a mug on my filing cabinet, a gift from an anonymous member of my last congregation, that carries this inscription: “A clean uncluttered desk is a sign of a SICK MIND.” I’m not sure what the reasoning is behind that statement, but I am sure that if it is true, then a perfectly manicured yard must point to a person who is psychologically in real deep do-do. I worked on my yard in Wooster for ten years, and finally got it to the point where it was so lush and thick that I could pull a couple weeds each time I mowed and the yard was truly weed-free. Call me sick, but somehow that yard was a great source of comfort to me.

Fast-forward to Lynchburg, Virginia, and our new home (as of April). Obviously, the people who lived here before were not at all sick in the way we have been discussing. In fact, if the yard is any indication, they were extremely healthy. I have never seen so many different varieties of weeds in so small an area. There is clover everywhere, and of course the ubiquitous dandelions. But that is just the beginning. There is a weed that sends tough tendrils out and multiplies like crazy. And then there is the Creeping Charlie. It is really creepy. So every time I mow my weeds (read “yard”) I think about the difference between weeds (what you don’t want in your life) and grass (what you do want).

I have noticed, for instance, that the good stuff needs fertile soil to grow well. When I filled in the bare spots on my lawn with new seed, I had to put in topsoil and peat to get it to grow in this red Virginia clay. But not so with weeds. They can grow anywhere, including the cracks in my driveway. And I find the same is true with bad habits, unbiblical thinking, and sin in general. It will take root anywhere in your life. You don’t need to prepare a place for the bad stuff.

And if you want a lush, green lawn, you’d better be fertilizing regularly. Healthy grass needs to be fed if it is to stay healthy. Weeds? No food necessary. They will grow strong and propagate abundantly without any attention. I find that to be true of all the parts of my life that I want to eliminate as well. I lose ground in my Christian walk every time I ignore it for any length of time. But by feeding my mind and heart with God’s word, I can keep the good stuff growing. And eventually, if the habit continues, my life ceases to be a place where sin can find an easy place to grow.

One last observation. I know my battle with weeds is going to be a long one. I plan to hit them soon with a weed-killer, and then again in the fall. I don’t expect that even those two efforts will end the struggle, but with perseverance I know it is possible to keep the weeds in check. Our lives are pretty much like that, aren’t they? We are in a war with the world, the flesh and the devil that will determine who will control us and what kind of a life we will present to the Savior. Every day we need to check our progress, reinforce the good growth and attack the weeds. So get out your sprayer and join me as we prepare the lawns of our lives for the return of the Master.

Lord Jesus, show me the weeds that threaten to destroy the beauty and witness of my life. And help me to work as hard at keeping my life holy as I do at keeping my lawn green. Amen.

The right tools for the job

Ever tried to cut square corners with a circular saw? Or even worse, mitered and beveled parts? I have, and it’s the pits! Even if you get the pieces to fit, and usually they didn’t for me, there is this nagging sense that the job just wasn’t done right. For 43 years of marriage and through the maintenance of eight different homes, the only cutting tools I have owned are a Craftsman circular saw and a hand saw. For some reason, I could never bring myself to buy a table saw or other more expensive tools that are not used every day, but are absolutely essential when you face a more complicated cutting job.

Last week, with the encouragement of my wife, I went out and bought a table saw and miter saw. I have been cutting everything in sight. And I find that I now look forward to tackling those home improvement projects that I used to dread. It is fun to work around the house when you have the necessary tools to do the job!

You’re probably wondering where all this is going. Well, as I was cutting mitered corners for a molding repair this morning (big grin) I got to thinking about the parallels between being equipped for home improvement projects and being equipped for life. I can remember a time when I was really frustrated by the demands of my day-to-day life. Failure, especially moral and spiritual failure, was more the rule than the exception for me, and I struggled with the knowledge that what I should do I wasn’t doing, and what I shouldn’t be doing I was. Sound familiar? The Apostle Paul testifies to the same experience in Romans 7. Then, as chapter 8 begins, he writes: “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and death.” In other words, we no longer need to cut the tough pieces of our lives with a circular saw. God has made available the Spirit of life in Christ (read table saw, miter saw, scroll saw, planer, belt sander, etc., etc.) which not only provides a beautiful finished product, but also makes the process of creating it fun, as it was meant to be.

What does this Spirit do? He comes to reside with us, always there just like the table saw that now sits in my garage. And He is ever ready to enable us to cut the difficult angles, and in so doing, to actually enjoy the work we have been called to perform in His name. Jesus said the Spirit would abide with and in us (John 14:17), teach us all things and help us to remember what He said (14:26), guide us into all truth and disclose to us what is to come (John 16:13). We even have our Lord’s word that His Spirit will give us the words to say when we need to explain the hope that is within us.

So have fun with the tools, that endless array of spiritual equipment God has provided to live a life that glorifies His Son. Take on a long-delayed project. Restore something of God’s to its rightful place in His creation. And work with both joy in your heart and anticipation of the Master’s soon-to-come assessment: “Great cutting, good and faithful servant!”