This Summer, Sophia and I have been reminded that there is no such thing as a weeding (de-weeding) season. Weeds will grow even when we think it’s too hot, too cold, too wet, and/or too dry to work. When nurturing our faith to grow, regular maintenance and protection against sin and distraction becomes easier. Before weeds can be deeply rooted, simply cultivating the soil (agitating and loosening it) can be enough to expose them to the hot sun and dry them out.
“Who are you to decide what is a weed?” you may ask.
To this I would say that it depends on the intentionality of the owner of the garden. The owner decides what he or she desires to grow and the gardener carries that out. One cannot intend to grow a fruit tree but allow vines to strangle it and still call him/herself a diligent gardener. In the case of the Christian heart and body, God is the owner of the garden and we are the gardeners. Do you plan to justify to God that you knew what was ultimately best for you?
“But they’re so pretty! They make my garden so colorful.”
Great, but part of the reason they are so vibrant is because they are competing against your desired plants for nutrients (and winning). It is not a surprise, then, that fruitful and fulfilling blessings from God have a hard time satisfying our hearts when we have already filled those spaces with seemingly and possibly good things, but just not what God intends for us.
“There’s just a few of them; I’ll take care of them later.”
Aside from everything mentioned so far: weeds easily get out of hand, crowding out other more desirable plants and robbing them of nutrients; weeds can also invite unintended pests. Hornets, wasps, or mosquitoes may be more attracted to certain nectars, and in coming into an untended garden, will find themselves at a buffet. Sophia and I found out we could have Wild Catnip in our yard, which would explain the frequent visits by the neighborhood feline and the various little “presents” waiting for us to step on. And for whatever reason, we keep stumbling upon fully-eaten corn cobs. We don’t even have any corn growing!
So, major milestones in your faith may be seasonal, but cultivation and maintenance are year-round. I pray for your life to be blessed with God’s presence. I pray that your heart would be filled with fruit, not just for your benefit, but for the blessing of your neighbors. Psalm 1 speaks of a tree planted by streams of water. The Hebrew is specific in that it isn’t talking about a random jungle tree that happens to be near the stream, but a tree intentionally planted within a maintained orchard. May your heart be in a regular posture to seek nourishment from God.