While pulling weeds out of our raspberry patch this spring, I was struck by how many things in nature are like our lives. That fertile plot of soil has all the conditions to produce fruit, just like the child of God who has had the plowing of the conscience and the seed of new life planted.
In Matthew 13 we read of seed that “fell into good ground, and brought forth fruit, some an hundredfold, some sixtyfold, some thirtyfold.” We might wonder why the amounts varied so much. But the same is true in our lives as believers. There is a difference in fruit-bearing because of several factors.
Water, like the Word of God, is necessary for growth, along with sunshine, which is like the warmth of God’s love.
Have you noticed how much easier it is to deal with weeds after a good rain, when the ground is soft and moist? If we are reading the Word of God, it will be easier to uproot the sin in our life. And the sooner we take care of weeds after they have sprung up, before they grow bigger and get a stronger foothold in the ground, the easier they are to remove.
If the ground is dry and hardened, the weeds are difficult to pull up. Sometimes they break off, leaving the root still in the ground. This is like dealing with sin on the surface and not getting to the real root of it. We think it has been taken care of, but very shortly that broken-off weed will rise to the surface again.
Our garden does not become overgrown with weeds overnight, nor can a weed grow deep roots that quickly. Time and effort are needed to free the garden of the weeds that are so destructive to growth and fruit-bearing. In the same way, we can’t expect instant perfection when sin has been able to grow and take deep root in a life. Removing the weeds can be a difficult and painful task, but how rewarding when done.
Some may think the solution to the weed problem would be to get a bag of Roundup and spread it on the garden to take care of all the weeds at once. That would be like putting ourselves under the law. In an attempt to snuff out the weeds, the healthy plants are also affected and wither away. “The letter killeth, but the Spirit giveth life” (2 Cor. 3:6). There needs to be that daily nurturing of the fruit-bearing plant, keeping it clear of weeds so it can drink freely of the water and bask in the warmth of the sunshine.
There must be diligence in keeping a garden in check, since there is never a time when the weeds are gone for good. If ever we feel we have completely gotten rid of the sin in our lives, watch out. (See 1 Cor. 10:12.) Like a weed developing under the surface of the earth, so there is sin in us ready to rise up and cause us to stop growing. We need to keep short accounts with God and never think that we can control our lives without His daily help.
God wants us to bear fruit. He gives us the water of the Word and the sunshine of His love to bring forth fruit, and the strength of His Spirit to diligently resist the entangling weeds of sin.