Ah, Spring. The time when Life re-emerges from the drowsy slumber of Winter. Flowers blossom. Bees buzz. The trees are fully leafed. Birds chase playfully after one another filling the air with melodious warbles all saying, "Hey good looking. Whacha got cooking?" Or, something to that effect. And, the grass is growing faster than the national debt. That too is a part of Spring. Grass grows and so do weeds which seem to grow even faster.
Late last Summer we moved to a new house which we love but, unlike the old house, we now have a yard full of grass that needs attention. Our older son mows the yard and like any average kid, he wishes he did not have to do so. But if the yard does not get mowed, our lovely home would be engulfed in a jungle of over-grown grass, weeds, fallen leaves, and twigs. It must be maintained. Weeds can over-take a yard in a heartbeat. The best way to battle them is to keep those weeds mowed. That is no new revelation but it is one that cannot be ignored.
Sitting on my back porch looking at my backyard which needs mowing this week, I had an epiphany. It was not earth-shattering but I found some truth just the same. My life can be like my yard. Weeds spring up and clutter falls into it on a regular basis. If not attended those weeds grow wild and fast and along with the clutter obscure the beauty of the yard. Weeds in my life are more than a cosmetic nuisance. They are real hindrances to my spiritual growth and choke out my fellowship with the Lord.
Weeds sprout taking the place of good grass. Sin is like those weeds. It grows taking the place of righteousness and if not dealt with it spreads. Sooner than thought possible a life can be over-grown with sin. Right living becomes lost in the growing field of sin. What can be done? Mow down that sin! Take hold of it and yank it up by the roots. We tolerate weeds in the yard but weeds (sin) in our lives must not be allowed to remain. It really is a matter of life and death, spiritual health and well-being. Psalm 66:18 says if I regard iniquity in my heart that the Lord will not hear me. We will spend a lifetime yanking weeds out of our lives but the effort pays off in keeping open communication with the Lord. Don't you think being right with Him is worth it?
Fallen leaves, twigs, and other clutter in my yard makes me think of all the possible THINGS that tug at my time and attention. Not all are bad. Most are not bad at all but too much clutter robs my time for the most important things like family time, personal time with God, and service time to others. In today's world there is no shortage of activities vying for our time. Kids sports go year round now. Companies hold more and more meetings. Civic organizations abound. Video games and television and the internet and now smart phones and ipads and mp3 players and tablet readers all offer us some way to spend our time. When do we have time to be still? Clutter can take over a life the same way sin can. All you have to do is ignore it. So, what are we to do? Set priorities. Then keep them. It is not complicated and it may not be easy at first. But as with weeding out the sin in our lives, clearing the clutter is worth the effort. Make first things first.
Oh, I wish it were as easy for me to do as it was to write this. It is not and you and I know it. Weeding and de-cluttering takes me off the couch and puts me into the yard to work. But it goes without saying that a well kept yard is a pretty sight and so is a life free of sin and distraction.
Because He lives,
Robby
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