The Strawberry Patch

The other day, I was weeding out my strawberry patch at home. I spent a lot of time on it because it was the first time this year I had done anything with it. Some of the weeds came out very easily, and the whole root came up with them. Some, like the crabgrass or dandelions, were more difficult to pull. I had to dig a little to get those out. When I got close to my strawberry plants, I had to take great care, I didn't want to damage their tender roots. The purpose of course was to allow them space to grow and flourish. Weeding also helps to eliminate the competition for nutrients and water resources. I got to thinking this might be a lot like what God does when he is trying to sanctify us. The weeds are like the sin in our lives, we are like the strawberry plants, and God is of course the gardener. He wants to get rid of the sin so we can grow, flourish, and bear fruit for the Kingdom. The church is kind of like that strawberry patch in that it is surrounded by field that is full of weeds. The weeds produce seeds that are blown into the patch all the time. I constantly have to pull the weeds, otherwise they take over and choke out my strawberries. One thing I noticed was that the prettiest weeds were the hardest to uproot. The violets were immensely difficult to pull. They also seemed to grow the closest to the strawberry plant. Isn't it that way with some of the sin in our lives too? It looks great to us, but it is the most aggressive and deeply rooted. These are the things that God must pull out carefully. He may even have to trim us back a little to get them out without permanent damage. The great thing about God is that he never fails to get the root. Other seeds may blow in and sprout, but the old weed that was deeply rooted is gone. He also is much better at keeping our lives "weeded out" than I am at keeping my garden. He never stops working nutrients and water into the soil, taking great care to give you everything you need to grow in Him, and to bear the best fruit.
May the peace and grace of the Lord Jesus go with you and keep you!