“Round and round, nobody knows where it will stop”...that’s what I thought as I started to edge the planter that parallels our house. This past spring time when the weather started to become bearable I vowed that I would get up each morning and go out and edge and weed before it got too hot. My electric weed eater has a battery pac, no yukky gasoline for me. I told myself that if I got up and did it every morning for as long as the battery pac lasted, that would be all I would do that day and then I would stop and wait for the battery to charge by the next day.
I figured that I would get around the house in no time and be able to take a week or so off. Well, that sounds good in theory but as I rounded the house with joy at my accomplishment and ready for my week or two off, I discovered that the weeds and grass had already grown up where I had begun my early morning work. To my amazement and discouragement it was time to begin again to make my rounds around the house. Around and around I would go, no stopping, no break, no end to my weeding nightmare.
The late Erma Bombeck said, “Trying to clean house while you have kids is like trying to string beads without a knot at the end of your string.” I really caught a glimpse of what she had meant as I found that my weeds had no consideration at all for my desire to take a break. And yet, as I thought about it, I realized this is how life is much of the time. Even my spiritual life. It’s amazing how similar it is to my weeds that grow so freely in my planter and around my house.
Do I get complacent and fall under the false assumption that I can take a break from the spiritual battle that I am in everyday of my life? Do I dare think that if I fight Satan and his attacks for a while that I can take a few days or weeks off? To my horror and shame, I have to say yes. I’ll be diligent for awhile. Really digging into the word, praying and journaling, feeling strong in the Lord. Then I get distracted, I slack off and before I know it....BOOM!
Just recently I found myself feeling overwhelmed, depressed and like life was spinning out of control. I was on a submarine heading toward the bottom of the sea. When I finally pulled my head above the covers, I believe God whispered to my heart, “I can help, where have you been lately?” I began to think about it. I had been neglecting my relationship with God. I had taken a break from my daily reading and prayer time with God. I had not been studying the scriptures and meditating on them. I had slipped into a “non-weeding” time. Like one exists!
Scripture tells us that Satan prowls around looking for someone to devour:
“Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.”
1 Peter 5:8
Am I foolish enough to think that I could not be one of those that the devil wants to eat up and spit out? I don’t think I believe that, but I do get distracted from the truth and am lulled into a false sense of security. Just like I believed that I could stop weeding for a bit and take a break, I let myself believe that I can take a spiritual break and come back to it later.
Satan is like weeds. He is everywhere. Once he gets his roots in, it’s hard to get them out. Once we allow him to stick around, blossom and go to seed, sin is everywhere. God’s Word tells us that we need to take up our armor every day to fight against the schemes of the devil.
“Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes.” Ephesians 6:10-11
We must fight the attitude of complacency and laziness toward our spiritual battle. We have to get up everyday, take out our weed eater and obliterate those invaders. In other words, we have to take out our Bible, load up with it, bathe ourselves in prayer and be ready to obliterate the devil and his schemes.
And remember God’s Word does not run on battery pac’s, it’s always hooked up and ready to work. See you tomorrow.
Taking it a little further:
1. What are some of the weeds (sins) that you have let grow in your life?
2. Why do you think they are weeds?
3. Can you find scripture that offers help with these particular weeds (sins)?
4. Take these affirmations from scripture and the verses mentioned in our study today and turn them into a prayer, also ask God to forgive you for allowing these weeds to grow and ask for His help in keeping them out. Also, ask for a spirit of diligence to daily take up His armor so that with His might and His strength, you can fight the schemes of the devil.
How often I have thought of Satan in the context of weeds! He is ferocious and he pops up everywhere. We must certainly be wary, and put on the full "armor of God." Thanks for your timely post.
Posted by: e-Mom | June 01, 2006 at 05:58 PM
That was a great post. I came across your site and appreciated your analogy very much! Hope you write more!
~Tammy
Posted by: Tammy | July 02, 2006 at 05:02 PM
Hi! Just found your blog and wanted to compliment you on it---very inspiring.
Posted by: Victoria Gaines | August 17, 2006 at 07:27 PM