4 Ways to Stay Weed Free

Weeds

I hate weeds.  I pull and tug and yank at the weeds with a vengeance, irked I am doing this again.  My contorted face, dripping with sweat, betrays my disdain.

We all know sin is like weeds; destructive, insidious, prolific.  But what about the soil?  No, the soil doesn’t have to be tilled or fertilized for weeds to grow but pulling them is much easier when the soil is loosed after being well-watered verses dry and hard.

Have you ever gone through a dry spell in your walk with Christ?  I know I have.   Certain things you would not do or say before really aren’t that bad, are they?  You slowly start to pull away from the Lord as your “roots” whither, your soul becomes drier, and your convictions weaken.

You tend to be more ho-hum about things.  What’s the big deal anyway?  No one will know…

The big deal is drifting from The Vinedresser – our Creator God.  A definite growth inhibitor.  Not to mention the damaging consequences of sin.

I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. (John 15:5 ESV)

But when the soil is tended and irrigated the weeds grow more abundantly - but are also discarded easier.  Our Christian life can be similar.  When we care for the soil of our hearts and souls by staying in fellowship with the Lord, other believers, reading Scripture, praying, confessing, and repenting the weeds are identified – and discarded - sooner and easier.  We grow stronger when we are supported in our beliefs and convictions by those around us with the same motive of growing toward the “Son”.

When we start to drift away, like the lone weed that popped up all by itself in a crack, we forfeit the love and support needed to live the abundant life Jesus died to give us.  Leaving us exposed and vulnerable to destruction.

Here are four ways to stay as weed free as possible:

The Word

God’s Word is good quality soil.  This is where we can snuggle down, get comfortable, get real, and put down some roots!  Where we can plant ourselves and read about real people in real-life situations and their solutions.  Where we learn the beautiful heart of our Vinedresser and become saturated with His love as we drink in the pages of Scripture.

Prayer

Prayer is how we stay connected to Jesus, The Vine.  He said without Him, we cannot grow.  When we receive from God through prayer, our roots are nurtured and strengthened to dig down deep and support us when stormy days threaten to knock us over.  Here in the presence of Jesus, we are safe to bring all our prayers and concerns and ask the hard questions without fear of being rejected or “pulled” ourselves.

I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. (John 15:5 ESV)

Friends

“I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser.   Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit.”  (John 15:1-2 ESV)

Isn’t a bouquet of flowers beautiful?  Whether all the same flower or all different, even when they start to wilt, they still stand proud in a vase.  Why?  Because they have the others to support them and hold them up even when they are weak.  This is true of our believing friends.  They support and pray for us to flourish even when we are struggling to stay upright.  They share our joys and victories as well as our pain and disappointments.  We are then guarded against one of Satan’s most sinister weeds of destruction: isolation.

Confess and Repent

Overcoming obstacles equals growth.  How many stories have we heard of people overcoming obstacles to achieve their goals?  We all cheer!  When we confess and repent of the sin in our lives -and we all need to do it regularly- we remove roadblocks to growth.  We clear the soil of weeds and rocks so God can grow us big and strong as we reach toward the heavens. 

This doesn’t always feel good initially.  Like pulling weeds, we may have to tug and strain to remove them at the root.  We may not feel like humbling ourselves and confessing and repenting.  Dying to self can be uncomfortable and sometimes downright painful.  The hole left in its place may leave us feeling a little lost and empty as we gather the good soil of The Word to replace it.

The Harvest

Scripture (and agriculture) tell us pruning is a good thing.  It produces a heartier, more fruitful plant in the future and is a requirement for growth throughout our lives. Sometimes growth is slow and sometimes amazingly fast, but as long as there is growth we are on the right path.  It may not feel good at the time but reaps a bountiful harvest in time.

“I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser.   Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit.”  (John 15:1-2 ESV)

When we clear the path with confession and repentance of our wrongdoing in thought and deed, we become conduits for God to work not only in our own lives, but in the lives of those around us as well.  We self-seed and propagate our world with the beauty of the Vinedresser instead of weeds of sin and death.