WORSHIPING AND WEEDING

I’ve made two commitments. Every day (that the weather permits)I go outside and meet with Jesus until He fills me so full that I overflow. Then, I go about my normal routines and spill that overflow into others.

That is a spiritual commitment. I know I don’t have anything worth saying to say to others until I’m filled with Him.

But I’ve also made a practical commitment. When I sit outside and meet with Jesus, I can see all of these weeds in my flower bed. They are overwhelming and looking at them can spoil my time outside with the Lord. I can’t take care of them all at once. It’s too much.

So, I’ve made another commitment. Each time I go outside I will pull at least 10 weeds. Its working. The bed I stare at every day is still far from perfect, but it is so much better.

Let’s make some application! True spirituality should reach to into every part of your life, even parts that you would not normally think of as being spiritual. But there is a word of caution. If you give too much attention to those practical parts, there will be no time for Jesus. So I give Jesus the first part, and the best part. Then, and only then, I do some practical things. I don’t spend too much time on those practical things. Perfection in practical matters can use up 100% of your time. So I opt for progress over perfection. But I do spend some time on them. One of those things is pulling at least 10 weeds a day.

I have found that I can continue my worship, even when I weed. There is a lesson and an analogy in everything. The weeds as well as the Word ,have become a deeply spiritual experience for me. I realize the left to themselves weeds are like sins that grow and spread and go deep, until one day I realize they have taken over.

I have to deal with them. But if I quickly yank off the top and fail to get the root, it does no good.

This morning I used a hand tool on this particular weed. (Look at the picture included with this post). The weed looked innocent and I thought it was going to be easy to pull. But as I pushed that tool into the ground, I realized this weed had a tap root that kept going on and on and on. I know if I don’t get it all the way to the core it will not only come back but it won’t be it will also spread silently underground.

Some of you have sins that keep returning because you never deal with them at the core. There is a root of bitterness and unforgiveness that has never been confessed and forsaken. Are there things that have become idols by the place of God in your life and you are unwilling to let go of them. The weed is just what you see on the surface. If you don’t get deep under the soil line, at the root of the problem, the sin will always return.

So, take time every day to fill up with Jesus. But also, take time every day to do some weeding. Maybe in your flowerbeds, but always in your soul. And when you do, go deep. It will take time, it may hurt, but you’ll eventually get it out and it will go away, instead of continuing to spread.