Getting rid of the Weeds in Your Life

GETTING RID OF THE WEEDS IN MY HEART

I have been having problems with a profusion of weeds in my yard both the back and the front of the house. Each day I look at those weeds I can't help but think how ugly it makes my yard looks. I get in the yard and start pulling them up from the roots most times and spray a solution of white vinegar, salt and liquid dishwashing detergent to kill these unwanted pests while praying to God in the Spirit and asking Him to help me to get rid of these pests in my yard.

Somehow, I equated these yards pests in forms of weeds to the weeds I hold in my heart. You know those pests we hold close to our breasts and hope nobody will notice except you. Well, I have been having this conversation with God today and He has so graciously opened my eyes to see these infernal weeds in my heart. One of these weeds I have been holding on to for a long time is a deep-seated anger. You know things happen in your life that cause so much pain and havoc that eventually if you don't get rid it settles deep within your heart and in your mind and ultimately your body. Do you know that when we hold on these weeds it can actually choke the Word of God in your heart?

I thought about one of Jesus' parables in Matthew 13 and this is what it says: "Consider this: There was a farmer who went out to sow seeds. 4 As he cast his seeds, some fell along the beaten path and the birds came and ate them. 5 Other seeds fell onto gravel that had no topsoil. The seeds quickly shot up, 6 but when the days grew hot, the sprouts were scorched and withered because they had insufficient roots. 7 Other seeds fell among the thorns and weeds, so when the seeds sprouted, so did the weeds, crowding out the good plants. 8 But other seeds fell on good, rich soil that kept producing a good harvest. Some yielded thirty, some sixty, and some even one hundred times as much as he planted! 9 If you’re able to understand this, then you need to respond."[b]The Passion Translation

Jesus emphasized that when weeds grow in our hearts it robs us of the word of God that we have already placed in our hearts, it chokes out the good word and we are consequently left with nothing but more weeds. This is very frustrating to me because my desire on earth is to please my Father, to please my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. I have opened my heart to God and I have asked Him to help me to identify these pesky weeds and to teach me how to get rid of them once and for all. That my friend is my determination.


The interpretation of this parable is simple and this is what it says, so listen: "The seed that fell on the beaten path represents the heart of the one who hears the message of the kingdom realm[j] but doesn’t understand it. The Adversary then comes and snatches away what was sown into his heart.

20 "The seed sown on gravel represents the person who gladly hears the kingdom message, [k] but his experience remains shallow. [l] 21 Shortly after he hears it, troubles and persecutions come because of the kingdom message he received. Then he quickly falls away, [m] for the truth didn’t sink deeply into his heart.


22 "The seed sown among weeds represents the person who receives the message, but all of life’s busy distractions, his divided heart, and his ambition for wealth[n] result in suffocating the kingdom message and prevent him from bearing spiritual fruit. [o]

23 "As for the seed that fell upon good, rich soil, it represents the hearts of people who hear and fully embrace the message of heaven’s kingdom realm. Their lives bear good fruit—some yield a harvest of thirty, sixty, even one hundred times as much as was sown." {The Passion Translation}

It is my determination as a child of the King to bear much fruit and to get rid of these weeds that somehow have overgrown in the garden of my heart. If it was so easy to spray some homemade pesticide on these weeds wouldn't that be easy. Unfortunately, it is not so easy. That is why I have gone to the Master to elicit His help in getting rid of these weeds I have so dearly held on to for so long. The work has already begun in my heart. The most difficult part is to identify those weeds and to dispense of them. Some of these weeds are: pride, anger, jealousy, envy, strife, gossip, greed, selfishness, lust, sexual immorality, wickedness, covetousness, backbiters, boasters, disobedience to God and to our parents, outbursts of wrath, and this list can be expanded by our own pet peeves and those secret thoughts that we believe no one knows; but God does, He sees it all.

So, this Spring I am applying the sweet aroma of the Word of God in my heart daily and renewing my heart on the Word. When weeds try to raise its ugly head in my heart I will uproot them immediately. It is a war against these pesky, annoying weeds. Even though these weeds are destructive to our hearts in a sense we also appreciate the growth of these weeds so that we can identify the problems deep rooted in our hearts. I have some real hard gardening to do to be rid of these weeds and to be very vigilant so they do not return.

The fruits we need to bear is taken from the book of Galatians: joy, peace, love, longsuffering (patience), kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. These are fruits of the Holy Spirit we all have in our hearts and all we have to do is to yield to them. As I draw nearer to the Presence of God I have asked Him to hold me accountable and convict me when I neglect to water the garden of my heart with the Word of God. God bless you in your efforts in getting rid of those old, tired, looking weeds in your heart.


A side note: Today, at church, I attended our monthly women's group and it was enlightening and it truly blessed me and the other women in attendance. We spoke about the issues women have to deal with in the midst of chaos etc. Pastor Kendall gave us two Scriptures I would like share with you:

2 Corinthians 5:17 English Standard Version (ESV)

17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. [a] The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.

Romans 8:1

8 Therefore there is now no condemnation [no guilty verdict, no punishment] for those who are in Christ Jesus [who believe in Him as personal Lord and Savior]

Shalom

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