Pulling Weeds

I've recently taken a liking to digging in the dirt and enjoy spending time working on our flower beds.  I don't have a green thumb by any means, but I can water the flowers and pull the weeds. Easy Peasy!   My neighbor saw me pulling weeds one day and said, "You know they'll just grow back!"  That got me to thinking and I began to notice some things.

Here is what I know about weeds:

• Pulling weeds is a messy job.  You should wear gloves.
• They grow wild and crazy if not treated, removed or kept under control.
• They can drain the water and nutrients from the plants around them-- thus sucking the life from what could be beautiful plants.
• Some weeds appear teeny tiny- they might even have cute flowers on them.  But they have REALLY deep and tangled root system.  They're hard to pull and might require the use of a digger or even some help from a buddy.
• Some weeds are really big and have teeny tiny roots.  They appear big on the surface, but they're easy to pull.
• Some weeds grow rapidly and others take their time to grow.
• No matter what you do- your work is never done.  If you want beautiful flower beds or a beautiful lawn, you need to treat the weeds

So- as I was pulling weeds I couldn't help but think about how these pesky little things can resemble sin in our lives.  Sin can't be ignored and if left untreated it will suck the life out of you-- God's beautiful creation.  Addressing sin can be a messy job.  Sin can appear small on the surface, but have a very deep root system and can be difficult to eliminate.  Other sin may be easier to eliminate but it, like those stupid weeds, just keeps growing back again and again. Either way- if you want to grow as a disciple of Christ you can't ignore your weeds. You must run from sin. It can be hard to even know where to start. So here's what I do--- I Pray. 

The bible teaches us in Psalm 130:23-24 (NIV)

"Search me O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts.  See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting."

When I get to thinking about my sin, I meditate on that scripture and ask God to search me and lead me more towards him.