We are currently at the point in the Christian calendar between Easter and Pentecost. This is a period where we reflect on Jesus’ resurrection from the grave, his 40 days back on Earth with his disciples, and his ascension back to Heaven after giving final instructions. 

Pentecost is on Sunday, June 8th this year, and it is a celebration of the Holy Spirit being sent down to dwell in the heart of all believers of Jesus Christ who proclaim him as Lord and Savior over their lives.  

Before I go on, if you haven’t accepted Jesus into your heart and surrendered your life to him but want to know more about what that means and how to go about it, please feel free to reach out to me! I’m not claiming to have all the answers but I will gladly share my story of grace and salvation along with doing all I can to walk with you in seeking the answers that only God can provide.  

Lent is the season before Easter, in which Christians take a little over 40 days to remember Jesus’ life and ministry leading up to his betrayal, torment, and ultimately his death on the Cross. If you want to know more about Lent check out my earlier blog post: Lent: The Life of Surrender

All this to say, during these seasons in between the bigger Christian events, it may be easier to fall victim to distractions and be led down a path that would be better left not taken.  It can be easy to have a destination in mind and want to take the shortcut rather than trusting God to get you through the trek. If you aren’t using God as your compass you will more than likely get lost along the way. You may even be so discouraged you setup camp in the place you find yourself, not knowing which way gets you out with the hope someone will come looking for you. 

The enemy wants you to wither and rot, to sit in your sin and shame, but your Savior wants you to abide in him, listening to his commands and live a life where you can produce much fruit. He reaches out his hand and says, “Come, follow me.”

“I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit. Already you are clean because of the word that I have spoken to you. Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. If anyone does not abide in me he is thrown away like a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned. If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples. As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love. If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love. These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full. This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.”
John‬ ‭15‬:‭1‬-‭12‬ ‭ESV‬‬

Jesus’ direction, commandments, and promises to his disciples still apply to us today. The Holy Spirit allows us to produce incredible gifts that bring beauty and hope to those around us when we walk in obedience. These gifts are called the Fruits of the Spirit:

“But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things! Those who belong to Christ Jesus have nailed the passions and desires of their sinful nature to his cross and crucified them there. Since we are living by the Spirit, let us follow the Spirit’s leading in every part of our lives.”
‭‭Galatians‬ ‭5‬:‭22‬-‭25‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Inspiration for this post actually came during Lent this year when I was outside one afternoon and saw Common Blue Violets covering my backyard. I recalled that they are considered weeds and I began thinking about how I love the way they look but I knew deep down they weren’t a benefit to my yard, only pleasure to my own sight.  

I realized how easy it can be to  see something that looks so beautiful and want to deny that it could be so harmful…

It’s hard to admit what you were drawn to could eventually destroy you.  

This led to me searching the impact of weeds and related information I found to our walk with Christ. 

I found these 4 Reasons Weeds are Bad on the Lawn Buddies blog (link down below):

1. WEEDS STEAL FROM PLANTS

Much like how weeds steal the nutrients and water supply from plants, We need to stop the distractions that steal our time, energy, and self-control. 

We must develop spiritual disciplines in order to grow in our relationships with our Heavenly Father (prayer, reading Scripture, worship through praise, serving for his glory, and being still to listen to his voice). The more time we spend lost in the weeds, the less time we have to flourish just by being intentional about spending time with God. 

2. WEEDS ARE HOME TO PESTS

There can be even more distractions when weeds get out of hand.  What seemed so innocent and small can spiral into repetitive, sometimes addictive, sinful behaviors because there are additional temptations that can come along with the weeds like pests who will eat you alive until there is nothing left unless you turn away and go to God. 

3. WEEDS TAKE UP VALUABLE SPACE

Our sins impact those around us. Not only are we meant to be examples of Christ to this broken world but we also could lead others astray because we give in. We let the weeds clutter our hearts and overpower the works of our mighty God in our lives 

4. WEEDS COMPETE FOR SUNLIGHT

We need the Son, the Light of the World to Survive. Weeds block us from seeing him clearly 

I looked up why the Common Blue Violet is considered a weed. Some of the reasons were because they have aggressive growth, rapidly spread throughout the yard, are hard to control because they refuse to let common pesticides take them out, and they thrive in the shade.

The more distractions there are that seem appealing the harder it is to remove them from your life and not want to delight in them rather than delighting in the Lord. Which leads to fleeting happiness rather than soaking up the eternal joy that is awaiting you.

It’s crucial to not just attempt to rid yourself of the surface level weeds but to get to the root of the problem.  The more alluring the weed the harder it may be to remove from your life. You are less likely to put your strength into uprooting the weeds when they aren’t so obviously sinful and are shaded by excuses or convincing  pretenses. 

Being vigilant in your spiritual practices becoming habits for your daily life, removes time to be distracted and tempted. 

Seek healing from God and he will treat the parts of you that have been taken over by darkness

Trust God to prune you and remove what no longer serves you. 

Others may try to convince you that the weeds “aren’t that bad” or “add a sense of beauty to your life” but they are lost themselves and need to be found or at least make their way back to their Creator whose plans are far more beautiful than any distraction can create in your life 

He put another parable before them, saying, “The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a man who sowed good seed in his field, but while his men were sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat and went away. So when the plants came up and bore grain, then the weeds appeared also. And the servants of the master of the house came and said to him, ‘Master, did you not sow good seed in your field? How then does it have weeds?’ He said to them, ‘An enemy has done this.’ So the servants said to him, ‘Then do you want us to go and gather them?’ But he said, ‘No, lest in gathering the weeds you roqot up the wheat along with them. Let both grow together until the harvest, and at harvest time I will tell the reapers, “Gather the weeds first and bind them in bundles to be burned, but gather the wheat into my barn.’”
‭‭Matthew‬ ‭13‬:‭24‬-‭30‬ ‭ESV‬‬

Sometimes we are trying our hardest and think we have cleared out the weeds but then our human nature and misguided desires take over again and the weeds reappear sometimes even new ones show up. So, just when things seem to be going well something else pops up to attempt to lead you down a dangerous road in life. Sometimes you have to fight the weeds as you go and when you’ve built up enough strength remove the weeds before sharing your fruits with others. You have to tend to your heart before you can effectively serve others.  If you try to lead others before you have truly repented and haven’t been refilled with the nourishment of God’s Word or spent any time in his presence, you will ultimately fail in your efforts and end up misleading others. 

I’ve been feeling convicted more and more about the times I begin to stray from the vine. The times I am not so kind, when I am not a good example to others of loving my neighbor, when I allow my anger to lead to sin, when I try to take things into my own hands because I am overconfident in my abilities and too prideful to ask for help. Sometimes having a loving friend or family member helping you find the fruit beyond the weeds, is exactly what you need to find restoration and get back on track allowing the Holy Spirit to take the lead and strengthen you once more!

Resist the urge to go your own way thinking if you pull the weeds out of your life you are safe from future issues when in reality only focusing on the surface can cause a greater problem in the long run. God will get you through! He won’t fail you not ever! You may not always like the results in life circumstances but most of the time, God’s “no” is a blessing in disguise! Praise him through it all!