Time for the Weed-Wacker
“Though seeing, they do not see; though hearing, they do not hear or understand. —Matthew 13:13b
It’s amazing how quickly a building begins to fall apart when it’s been neglected. It doesn’t take long at all for ceilings to crack, walls to crumble, and weeds to overtake the structure. Even if a building hasn’t decayed to the degree that it is inhabitable, if it is not being maintained properly, hidden problems can cause significant damage behind walls and in basements and attics. What might have been a quick problem to solve early on becomes a massive renovation project.
So it is with us. I sometimes feel like this building (above), in that I’ve been so busy in other parts of my life that my vision and discernment of God’s voice becomes impaired. Like these windows nearly covered over by the weeds, our vision becomes impaired when we neglect to prune back the stuff of life that competes for our attention. As the late, great Rich Mullins used to sing, “The stuff of earth competes for the allegiance I owe only to the Giver of all good things”. All those things that “have” to be done end up taking precedence over our time with God. We say to ourselves, “tomorrow, first thing, I’m going to spend some time in prayer”. Then tomorrow comes and the phone rings, our to-do list looms over our heads and before we know it, we’re off on a rabbit trail of chores. Then we wonder why we are so burned out, irritable and dry! We wonder why we can’t hear God’s voice, why He feels far away, and why we feel confused about where life is going. We cannot perceive God’s direction if the weeds of life have blocked the windows of our vision. We cannot feel the warmth of His love for us if those same weeds keep His light from pouring in. Keeping our time in God’s presence a top priority is what keeps those weeds pruned back and helps us have clarity and strength as we push forward.
Let’s ask God this week to show us where we’ve allowed the weeds of life to overtake us. Let’s commit to spending time in His presence, even if it means those dishes don’t get washed, or that trash doesn’t get taken out. Believe me; I am challenging myself as much as I am all of you! Let’s press in this week and see how God responds, and how differently we feel as a result.