My Life as a Lawn - the 3rd yard

The importance of tending to our weeds:

1. Life is transient -- We don’t like to thinking about it, but time moves quickly.

Psalm 102:11My days are like the evening shadow; I wither away like grass.

Isaiah 40:6A voice says, "Cry out." And I said, "What shall I cry?" "All men are like grass, and all their glory is like the flowers of the field

We waste so much of what God would have us experience because we do not deal with the weeds – in fact we let ourselves be controlled by the ‘needs of the weeds’. God has good plans for us, for our benefit, not our destruction. Think about how fast time has traveled to this point in your life. Too often people do not take responsibility for their lives, and find that years have passed and they are in the same state. We with God’s help must recognize that now is the time- for we have no guarantee of tomorrow.

2. Weeds choke the life out of us --

Job 31:40 then let briers come up instead of wheat and weeds instead of barley."

We lose a lot of benefit and blessing time when we let the weeds in our lives have rule and domination. Think of the parable of the sower – where the good seed fall on rocky soil and thin soil, and soil where the weeds quickly sprout up and choke the life out of the good grass. Weeds rob us of energy, of will, of hope of blessing.

3. The seeds of our weeds float and infect our neighbours lawn

Those neighbours are our spouses lives, our children’s lives, those around us. The problem with weeds is that they are opportunists. Not only do they want to completely take over our lawn, our lives, but, they can dominate and take over the lawns of the lives of those around us. We are warned that the sins of the father will go on to impact his sons and daughter, perhaps for generations (Numbers 14:18). We can have a quick response of “that’s just their problem”. However the reality is, I make my problem, other peoples problems – and they have to pay for them.

4. Weeds if left unattended destroy even the strongest person

Proverbs 24:31thorns had come up everywhere, the ground was covered with weeds, and the stone wall was in ruins.

Weeds can cause the strongest of walls to crumble given time. I’ve seen dandelions crack through a cement sidewalk. We can’t even let the seeds remain, because they just wait for the time, when conditions are right to take root.

5. Weeds will reveal themselves

Matthew 13:25But while everyone was sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat, and went away "The owner's servants came to him and said, 'Sir, didn't you sow good seed in your field?

Where then did the weeds come from? Whether we want them to or not, our weeds will reveal themselves. It’s just a matter of time. Our only really choice is the ‘when’ we others will see them and we have to deal with them. It is better if we can do it on our terms with God’s direction- rather than getting dragged into it kicking and screaming. It takes courage and humility. But it can be done. If we get the weeds out of the way

Isaiah 66:14When you see this, your heart will rejoice and you will flourish like grass; the hand of the LORD will be made known to his servants

How do we get at the root of our weeds? We'll look at that next time.

Anyway I was just thinking.

Neil