Do You Have Some Weeding to Do?

I have an amazingly busy day today and again tomorrow so I just have a quick (unoriginal) thought to share with you.

I love beautiful gardens and plants, but am awful at growing things, mostly because I don’t like weeding or spending time in the dirt. Part of our small yard is grass and the other part is decorative rocks with bushes and trees spaced out in them. With the warm weather that finally came, our bushes have started to spring back to life to a bright yellow or green (well, except for the red bushes we have of course). Not long ago I noticed a small weed growing almost in the middle of one of the bushes. I knew I should pull it out, but I was busy with other things and it was so small. I would get to it later. I saw that the weed was growing taller and noticed that that bush was not turning green like the others. Still I did not act. Today, I went out to look at it more closely. The weed is very green and grew very tall much more quickly than I would have thought possible. The bush looks completely dead. The weed has taken over and is using all the water and nutrients for itself, leaving the bush to die. Of course, the weed's roots are much bigger now that I have waited and it will be harder to pull it out when I finally try (after I post this). It would have been so much easier to pull it out when it was small. I hope that the bush can be saved, but I might have waited too long.

Obviously, this is an analogy to sin. It is so much easier for us to avoid spiritual “death” by plucking out the tiny weed when it is just a thought or temptation or even just the beginning of a sin. At first we may think that we will just try it or that we will indulge in a “little sin”, but we can stop and repent later. Why is that wrong? That weed will take over and kill off our ability to feel the Spirit and desire to change. We sometimes trick ourselves into thinking that we can remain the same while committing a sin, but in truth, it takes over and changes us even if it is little by little so we don’t see it.

James 1:
14 But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed.
15 Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.