Lessons From a Neglected Yard

I hate weeds. No, I did not just come to that conclusion, but it was once again reaffirmed as I was pulling them out of my back yard the other afternoon. We are supposed to have a “no maintenance” yard given that it is covered completely in landscaping rocks, under which lies a protective sheet of “weed blocking” material. Yeah right. Weeds are persistent in their attacks on lawns and gardens, schoolyards and parks, even cracks in driveways. I pulled one out of a crack in the side of a block wall. What is that all about?! How is that even possible? I have no clue, but the point is that they can exist in the smallest places or right in the middle of your yard; they don’t discriminate.

Sorry about the diatribe, but again, I hate weeds. However, there were some good things that came from my time in the yard, including some lessons learned about the parallels between weeds and sin. It’s ironic because sin is the reason we have any weeds at all (see Genesis 3:17-19). Weeds are a battle to deal with, just like sin, and I think it will be helpful to point out other similarities between the two.

If you have spent any time doing yard work, you already know that there are several different types of weeds. First, there are the ones that have been given too much time and nourishment, growing large and holding a prominent location in the middle of the yard. The owner of the yard can see them clearly, and though it may take some effort, will surely pull them out first. I had a more than a few of them in my small backyard (hence, a neglected yard). These relate to the sins that are obvious in our lives, that everyone can see, and that we know we need to do something about immediately. As I was weeding, I took the big ones out first because it made me feel like I was accomplishing something. Removing them made an immediate difference in the appearance of my backyard. However, after they were gone, I began to see other, previously less noticeable weeds.

There were the type that were roughly mid-sized and had protective thorns which (since I wasn’t wearing gloves) stung my hands as I was yanking them out. It was as if they knew they were trespassing and wanted to prevent me from removing them, or at least make it painful when I did. These remind me of those sins that we know are wrong, but we adore them enough that it hurts when we root them out of our lives. These are the routine moral sins that don’t even cross the mind of the unregenerate, but being Christians we have come to recognize their destructive effect on our lives.

The kind of weeds that frustrated me the most were those that were small, but as I tried to pull them out the top broke off too easily, leaving the roots intact. They gave up their leaves so they could live another day; they will surely be back. My mind flashed with those annoying daily sins that I commit that pop up almost predictably. These are the habitual sins that may be different for each person, but that we all battle with continually.

The most deceiving type of weed that I pulled out appeared similar to regular grass. These grew mainly around the edges of the yard in partial shade (this is the type I pulled out of my block wall). I have seen these in the past growing through the middle of rose bushes and other plants. It seems they like to blend in, or give the impression that they are a part of another plant. Like I said, they are deceiving. Though all sin is deceiving, there is a particular variety that not only deceives us, but also those around us. They relate to our motives in doing good works. The good things we do, that are seen by others, are subject to the sin of self-gratification. They may look like the efforts of the faithful, but they will be “burned up” in the end because the reward of recognition and praise was already received. This sin comes up also in the attempt of some to “work” their way to heaven. They do everything they can to look like a true Christian, but never come to know Jesus as Lord and Savior. I believe one of the most frightening passages of Scripture is Matthew 7:21-23. It should cause each of us to examine ourselves as Paul exhorts in 2 Corinthians 13:5.

The final brand of weed I found was different than the others. These particular weeds have perfected the technique of laying low and flat to the ground, not rising even an inch high but spreading themselves out over as large an area as possible. They had deep gripping roots and proved difficult to remove. These are representative of another type of sin, those that exist in the deep attitudes of our hearts. They cover a lot of different areas of our lives, and are rooted in our own pride and sense of self-sufficiency. They are not immediately evident, but they are uncovered when we dig into the depths of who we are in light of the cross of Jesus Christ.

After weeding for a little less than an hour, I began thinking that my efforts were futile and that the weeds would win. To be sure, even if I were to locate and remove every weed in my yard, (which I’m positive was not the case), their return was pretty much guaranteed within the next few weeks. Nevertheless, I realized that if I were to give up, my yard would be out of control before I knew it, costing me a lot more time (and possibly money) in the long run. It is important to be faithful in caring for our yards as well as our hearts. That being said, there is one major lesson that was reinforced to me that day.

We don’t have the power to remove all sin from our lives, because sin comes from deep within our hearts (see Mark 7:20-23). That kind of work can only be accomplished by the blood of Jesus Christ and begins when we believe and trust in Him as Lord and Savior. Jesus said, “He who believes in Me, as the Scripture said, ‘From his innermost being will flow rivers of living water (John 7:38).’” He spoke this about the Spirit that comes to live in each believer at the moment of salvation. If we believe in Jesus, we receive His Spirit, and if we have His Spirit, we have “rivers of living water” flowing from our innermost being. It is impossible for the weeds of sin to hold their ground in the face of the Spirit’s rushing river. Therefore, by the blood of Jesus our sins are covered and forgiven, and by His Spirit they are continually being removed from our hearts.

Believer, in your struggle with sin, remember these things: though you are entirely guilty, He has completely forgiven you, and though you are inherently weak, He is faithfully strong.

JC