Living with weeds
Weeds are a thing. Seriously! Personally I have a significant lack of tolerance for them. Why? They just keep coming back. They are survivors, they grow in anything that has the slightest bit of soil and water, they multiply quickly and come back aggressively even when pulled up. If you have a garden or a plot of land or a farm you’ll understand what I’m saying. Dealing with weeds can end up taking more of your time than tending to your plantings.
According to the dictionaries weeds are valueless plants growing wild where they are not wanted and are in competition with cultivated plants which they will affect negatively. Stealing their nutrition.
We have weeds in our lives, and often they are payed little attention to or even ignored. They are even knowingly tolerated because we’re ‘human’.
Matthew, in chapter 13, talks about them as part of a collection of parables. All of which a re a great read.
The parable of the wheat and weeds, Matthew 13:24 NIV, describes a farmer who planted good seed in his field. At night an enemy came and planted weeds in the field, then slipped away. The seeds grew and the crop grew. The farmer decided it would be too difficult to sort it all out and allowed all the plants to grow sorting the seed from the weeds at harvest time. Then he burnt the weeds.
How does this connect with us? Weeds are things in our lives that don’t belong there and need acknowledging and removing rather than tolerating . Things like, criticism, self doubt, tolerating other peoples bad behaviour or attitude towards us, small irritations that lead to us being less than kind, joining in conversations you’re later not happy with, being silent when speaking up was needed, little things you wish wouldn’t happen.
I think you get the idea. We are talking of small things that can grow into big things if they’re not addressed when we realise they’re weeds. We have a God who is the best gardener and his Word to help us understand and navigate weed removal. Talk to him, read his word, and get help if you need to.
We are all unique creations, fearfully and wonderfully made, made for a purpose and made from love. You have great worth and a significant place in the Kingdom of God. Your value is enormous and you have a significant reason for being here. You don’t need to live with your weeds.
