Be Ruthless! Be Consistent! Be Faithful!
I am paying to kill my lawn! That’s right, this Spring I finally broke down and contracted a lawn company to make my lawn a luscious, weed-free green carpet that would make Augusta National envious (not to mention, my neighbors…even Larry two doors down whose lawn has been MY secret envy for twenty years 🙂 ). The only problem is that my lawn is now worse than it has ever been! What happened? Do I demand my money back, after all it IS satisfaction guaranteed? My “highly trained and well-experienced ”lawn care technician explained to me that this is a TWO year program (of course!). BEFORE we do anything, we must FIRST kill the weeds (wow, are they stubborn!) The weeds have got to go so that the new grass will have the room and nutrients to grow healthy. Presently the weeds are sapping the life out of any grass trying to grow. We’ve also got to build up the soil with fertilizer and lime so that when we core aerate and overseed in the Fall (surprise, an extra fee), the grass will have a healthy environment in which to thrive. And then, drum roll please…VOILA – next year, a lawn to rival the ninth fairway at Augusta National (ok, I will settle for the sixth rough at Chisel Creek).
Somehow this hits close to home. How many “weeds” are in my life that are choking out the fruit of the Spirit and sapping my spiritual vitality? Hebrews 12:1 exhorts us to “lay aside every weight, and the sin that clings so closely. ”The need to be right, the pursuit of one’s own comfort and convenience, an unforgiving spirit, pride, self-centeredness are just some of the stubborn “weeds” that need to be “put to death” in our lives so that the fresh, new green grass of the Spirit can grow and thrive. Perhaps for you it is too much TV or poor financial habits or social media is robbing you of quality time. We all have weeds that need to be uprooted! When it comes to weeds… Be ruthless!