Pulling Weeds

Yesterday while Zachary was sleeping I decided to go out in the back yard and pull some of the weeds that had sprung up over the winter. Amanda and I have been working to make our back yard a retreat of sorts and I take a lot of pride in how my grass looks. I wanted to get rid of the crab grass and clover that had taken over various segments of the yard so that all you see when you come over is nice, beautiful St. Augustine grass.

I love yard work because it's a time for me to plug in my iPod and listen to podcasts. Lately I've been listening to Matt Chandler sermon series, so I began listening to a three-part series called Games People Play. The theme of the series is a look at religious people who followed Jesus in an effort to look religious and pious, but who had no intent whatsoever to commit their lives to him. They talk a good talk, but refuse to submit their lives to the Lord if that submission seems uncomfortable to them.

I don't often pull metaphors from ordinary tasks, but as I was pulling weeds out of my yard, it dawned on me that I often talk a good talk but then do things to mask the sin in my life so that I can give an appearance of righteousness. Looking a little deeper into the weed-pulling metaphor, sometimes it's easier just to break the weed off at the surface of the ground rather than pull the root up. It takes much more time and effort to find the root and make sure you get all of it. Sometimes when I get tired, I'll just break the weed off to give the appearance that there are no weeds, but if the root is left in place, the weed will be back very shortly.

I've been examining my life to find the areas where I'm masking sin rather than pulling the root up. How about you? Have you taken the time to examine your life in the same manner? I encourage to find the root of your sin and remove that root. Don't just break the weed off and pretend it's gone.