Unchecked

Looking at a newly established garden bed, I noticed a number of weeds and started removing them. I enjoy pulling them out because new life can grow in the space they once occupied. In this patch there were a few small weeds, but some of the others were considerably bigger. They’d managed to escape removal and had grown up alongside the little shrubs that were planted. I took a few moments to examine one that now closely resembled a type of shrub. Due to its size, it was a little more difficult to identify as something that didn’t belong. Once there was clarity I could root it out.

Our lives, like that garden bed, can have weeds that have remained unchecked for a long time. They’ve started out as minor, but have continued to grow and become so familiar that we believe they are part of who we are. We simply don’t recognise them anymore as ungodly and we aren’t able to discern that they don’t actually belong. These weeds could represent anything from an ungodly attitude to fearing man’s opinion.

We may have justified them residing there, excused their presence believing they are harmless, or our busyness may have caused us to discard the idea of their removal for another day. We may even quite like the flower and want it to stay. We often don’t realise that, like weeds in a garden, they take the life-giving space God desires for us, sap our intended nourishment, or destroy other plants in the garden. God wants more of His planting and more of His life in our lives. As His chosen possession His desire for us is freedom and life. He wants what brings damage to be rooted out. It’s His kindness that leads us to repentance (Romans 2:4).

We may or may not know what has gone unchecked in the gardens of our hearts, but the Holy Spirit does and if we allow Him to examine our garden, He will point out the unchecked weeds, do the uprooting and clean up our patches. Are you open to godly correction when others show you weeds that you are no longer able to distinguish from shrubs? Will you set aside some time today and allow the Holy Spirit to examine and test your heart and your mind?

Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank You that You know me better then I know myself. As I turn my heart to You please “Examine me, O Lord, and prove me; test my heart and my mind” (Psalm 26:2). Please uproot the weeds in my life and bring Your cleansing, in Jesus’ name. Amen.