Do not look at the over grown weeds day after day and put it off yet another day.

For a year now I have seen weeds pop up one by one in the rock bed in front of our house. I only see it when we pull into our garage and when we leave but day after day I have said “I’ll clean it out another time.” Well a year has gone by now and there wasn’t only one little weed or two but now I couldn’t even see the rock bed at all.

Don’t let sin fester and grow in your life and wait to clean it up another day. James 4:13-14 tells us to not put off until tomorrow what can be done today, for our life is but a vapor. We do not know when the Lord is coming (2 Peter 3:10), let us always be ready and keep our lives free of sin.

The longer you wait to clean out the weeds, the bigger and harder the job will be when you do.

I went out this morning thinking this job would take maybe 30 minutes. Over 2 hours later, I was finally done and shocked at what time it was. I had almost missed making lunch for my kids, no wonder my 1 year old was fussy!

Don’t let sin stay in your life and become so deeply rooted that it is overwhelming to remove.

Sometimes there are more weeds hidden under others.

As I got more and more in to my project of pulling out all of the weeds, I would pull out a larger one or move some fallen leaves and underneath I would find more small weeds.

Sometimes we may find that as we remove sin from our lives we find and learn that there is more change needing to be made. As we grow in our knowledge of the scriptures we will find the same. Over time we find ourselves not wanting to listen to some of the music we once did or watch TV shows that once seemed harmless. Satan is watching and waiting and will try to sneak into our lives at any and every opportunity he can (1 Peter 5:8.) By keeping the large weeds out of our lives we are more clearly able to see the smaller weeds that have the ability to grow into larger ones (James 1:15.)

Don’t allow distractions to divert you from your end goal.

One of the reasons that I had put off this project for so long is that I have two young children, 4 and 1. Working in the front yard by the street is not an easy task while trying to keep your kids out of the street and harm’s way. But I found that it wasn’t as difficult as I had thought. Sure there were interruptions to ask for help putting on and taking off a bike helmet, stopping my one year old from chasing a ball into the street and so on but we can’t allow these small distractions stop us from our end goal. We can use Martha as an example. In Luke chapter 10, Martha is distracted with house work, keeping her from focusing on spiritual matters.

A little help goes a long way.

Today I only had my young children to help me and their help was limited. They may have only saved me a few minutes of time but thinking about working together as a family, I am confident their little bit of assistance helped me along the way. And with them by my side it was more pleasurable than being out there alone.

Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 says “Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their labor. For if they fall, one will lift up his companion. But woe to him who is alone when he falls, for he has no one to help him up. Again, if two lie down together, they will keep warm; but how can one be warm alone? Though one may be overpowered by another, two can withstand him. And a threefold cord is not quickly broken.”

If you are struggling in sin and cannot fight it alone, seek the help of a brother or sister in Christ.

Some weeds will come up easy, others need to be dug or cut out.

When I first started, I was pulling weeds left and right but then I came to a few where I needed to grasp on a little tighter, pull a little harder, find a tool to dig the soil out a bit or in some cases I resorted to cutting it out.

Sometimes it takes a little more effort and self-control to remove and keep sin out of our life. Everyone has different sins they struggle with more than others. Remember to find the right tools (Ephesians 1:11) and grab on firm to the hope that is in us (1 Peter 3:15.)

You may get a few injuries during the process.

I have a few minor cuts and scrapes as well as some dirt that may take a week to get washed out but isn’t that the result we get from hard work?

Proverbs 20:30 says “Blows that hurt cleanse away evil, As do stripes the inner depths of the heart.”

And Proverbs 14:23 “In all labor there is profit, But idle chatter leads only to poverty.”

Don’t leave the weeds growing just because others can’t see them, remove them all.

I only worked on my front yard this morning but I know my back yard needs attention too. Just because others can’t easily see sin in our lives doesn’t mean it can be left for later. God knows our hearts and our souls and we need to give prompt attention to be as clean and pure as He desires us to be.

Hebrews 4:11-13 says “Let us therefore be diligent to enter that rest, lest anyone fall according to the same example of disobedience. For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are naked and open to the eyes of Him to whom we must give account.”

Finish the job

Paul says in 2 Timothy 4:7-8 “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing.”

If I hadn’t worked until all of the weeds were pulled, it would likely be just as big of a job the next time I go out. Now that I’ve pulled them all and cleaned up the yard, I can go back regularly and pull the little ones as they come. As we keep sin out of our lives regularly and stay in His word daily, we will continue to grow and our day to day struggles with sin will become easier to remove.

Clean yourself up and seek replenishment when you’ve completed the task.

In the hot heat of Texas summer, you better believe I came in hot, sweaty and dirty. I needed a shower. Wash of the filth of sin and make yourself clean again (Psalm 51, 1 John 1:7.) Replenish yourself with water or food physically. In the same way, when we rid our lives of sin, we need to fully repent of them and replenish ourselves in fellowship and encouragement of our brethren.

Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life. And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart. -Galatians 6:7-9

 

by Stephanie Verlooy

Stephanie currently lives in Austin, TX where her husband is as student at the Southwest School of Biblical Studies. She is a stay at home mom to her two children Mason and Nora. When her husband Life graduates they plan, Lord willing, to return to Wisconsin and work with the church in Rice Lake.