Take Time To Pull The Weeds

This has been a busy summer. I chose not to plant a vegetable garden because I knew I wouldn't have time to take care of it. My last post was about what I choose to cultivate, well it has also been a very hot and wet summer and because of the weather and my inaction weeds have overtaken my flower bed in front of my house. I didn't choose to cultivate those weeds, I actually planted some bulbs this spring. But because of my neglect the weeds have cultivated themselves, leaving little room for the beauty that I wanted to grow.

These weeds with the one lone flower trying to survive among them are so symbolic of our lives. There are many weeds in our lives that try to choke out the beauty, in order to battle them we must be diligent and stay on top of it. I have tried to pull weeds off and on this summer but haven't put much effort into it and this is now the result. Like these weeds, there may be things in our lives that we know shouldn't be there and we may casually confront them but if we don't get in there and pull up the whole root it will return with a vengeance.

I noticed a few thing about the  circumstances in which these weeds have prospered. First I have been busy. I didn't stop and take the time to pull them when they were few and small because I thought other things were more important. Now the weeds are screaming at me every time I pull in the driveway. It is much easier to deal with issues and "weeds" in our lives before they take over the entire garden. Eventually they have to get pulled, better to stop and take the time early than putting it off.

Second, I didn't put more mulch down this year. I didn't, for various reasons, update my protective barrier against the weeds. How many times do we let the barriers in our lives go outdated. "I mulched a couple of years ago, it can wait one more year." or so I told myself. Now I have a mess to clean up because I didn't protect things in the first place.  Proverbs 13:6 says "Righteousness guards him whose way is blameless, but wickedness overthrows the sinner." We need to make sure we renew our "mulch" of righteousness so that the weeds cannot overthrow  us.

Third, the weeds are more relentless this year than I have ever seen. I can only assume that the rain and heat that we have had this year have contributed to the problem. Rains come in life, sometimes they are rains of blessing but often times they are the rains of troubles and trials. If we do not stay on top of our thoughts and our actions the weeds of worry and stress can overtake us. Add to the rains the heat and it may be unbearable to try to clear them out, but we must persevere or be overtaken.

Now as I attempt to tackle this undertaking of pulling up each weed up by the root I am reminded how I need to be on guard in my own life. Making sure my "mulch is at an adequate depth for protection. And when a weed does pop back up because I may not have gotten the root I need to be quick to pull it up so that beauty may once again be the focus of my garden and not the weeds.

Choosing What I Cultivate

Be anxious for nothing, 

but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving,

let your request be know to God; 

and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, 

will guard your hearts and mind in Christ Jesus. 

Finally, brethren, 

Whatever things are true,

whatever things are noble,

whatever things are just,

whatever things are pure,

whatever things are lovely.

whatever things are of good report,

if there be any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy-

meditate on these things

Philippians 4:6-8

I am heart broken, not at the state of the world we live in, for that I have hope, because we were told these thing would happen and we were told that Christ "overcame the world. I am heart broken and convicted for myself and for my brothers and sisters in Christ who have been sucked into the enemies schemes via social media. We are to be the light of the world yet we ourselves are feeding into the agenda of division. 

Yes the world is in bad shape and we cant hide our heads in the sand. But we cannot join the world in negativity and fear when we hold Truth and the Love of Christ for a broken and dying world. We must educate ourselves with Truth and arm ourselves with the Armor of God. 

As I look at social media all I see is anger, hate, division, and criticisms. Just a couple of years ago I cleaned up my news feed so that I was seeing godly posts from godly people. Now, however, many of those same godly people have fallen to the ways of the world and the news media. Jumping on the band wagon of hate, criticism, division, and anger. I myself have been guilty of this. 

Today I listened to a sermon from Kris Vallotton from Bethel Church and was convicted. One quote from the sermon was, "what I cultivate, dominates". What are we cultivating? Are we seeking out the "good reports" or are we sharing the glaring criticisms. The enemy is reeking havoc in our country and I, for one, refuse to agree with him.

We are told in Philippians 4:6 to "be anxious for nothing"; when you look at your news feed on your social media, do you get anxious? "I have overcome the world", Jesus told us. So why are we agreeing with the enemy instead of obeying our Lord Jesus Christ? Why are we not giving everything, through prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, to God? Have we forgotten the God we serve and how powerful He is? Do you refuse His peace when you give your worries to Him? 

I choose to believe God who says He will give us "peace which surpasses all understanding" (Phil 4:7) I know My God is bigger than all the fear, hate and division that we see in the world today. I choose to cultivate things that are true, noble, just, pure, lovely, and of good report. I will seek out the virtue and proclaim the praiseworthy. I wont bury my head in the sand but I will dwell in the arms of My Heavenly Daddy knowing He is in control and He has already won. 

No longer will I cultivate the loss of hope, the hate, the division, and the criticisms. I will not agree with the enemy and let fear in. 

I will lift my eyes to the hills- from whence comes my help?

My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth.

He will not allow 'my' foot to be moved. He who keeps 'me' 

will not slumber.

Behold, He who keeps Israel (His people) shall neither slumber nor sleep.

The Lord is 'my' keeper; 

The Lord is 'my' shade at 'my' right hand.

The sun shall not strike 'me' by day , nor the moon by night. 

The Lord shall preserve 'me' from evil, He shall preserve 'my' soul.

The Lord shall preserve 'my' going out and 'my' coming in. 

From this time forth and even forevermore.

Psalm 121