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.