Weeds in My Life

These days gardening is my hobby.

When I take good care of my plants, I get to enjoy the beauty of the flowers I have planted and also, literally, eat the fruits of my labor from my garden.

But I have come to realize that if I want my flowers, vegetables, herbs, and fruits to do well, I need to take good care of them. Some of the basics include giving them manure, watering them, and pulling out the weeds, which often grow faster than the plants. I have also learned that weeds are deceptive. You may not notice them at first, but soon they are choking out your plants, stealing water and nutrients, and reproducing.

The rule in the garden is simple: if you see a weed, pick it! You should not wait for “weeding day” because by then there will be more of them, their roots will be deeper, and it will be harder to get rid of them. The same is true in my Christian life.

I have to weed out sin before it becomes a habit.

Daily confession and repentance are musts if we want to keep sin from growing in our lives. Rather, we want to produce the fruit of the Spirit, which is “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control” (Galatians 5:22, 23, NLT). These beautiful fruits make us agreeable to one another, as well as make us happy. The fruit of the Spirit show that we are led by the Spirit of Christ. If we compare the fruit of the Spirit with the works of the flesh, we will know what to cherish and cultivate and what to weed out of our lives. This is the sincere endeavor of all real Christians.

“The fruits of the Spirit will be borne by the man who loves God and keeps the way of the Lord, as the rich clusters of grapes grow on the living vine. Christ is his stronghold. Christ lived the law of God in humanity, and so may man do if he will by faith take hold on the strong and mighty One for strength. If he realizes that he cannot do anything without Christ by his side, God will give him wisdom. But he must cherish the love of Christ in his heart, and practice His lessons.”* Dear Lord, please give me the wisdom I need to keep sin out of my life. May the fruit of Your Spirit grow within my life and testify of You. Amen.

Betty Lyngdoh

* Ellen G. White, Testimonies to Ministers and Gospel Workers (Mountain View, CA: Pacific Press®, 1923), 282.