7 Truths about the Weeds of Sin in Our Lives

They drive me crazy, actually. No matter how much I treat them, weeds always return in the cracks and joints of my driveway. They do, though, remind me about the reality of the growth of the weeds of sin in my life:  

1. The weeds have to bother me before I’ll do anything about them. If I don’t see weeds growing from my driveway as ugly, I’ll ignore them. It’s the same deal with my sin; until I see it as ugly, I won’t turn from it. 
2. The weeds constantly look for a place to grow. I’m amazed sometimes by how many weeds can grow out of the smallest vulnerable spot in the driveway. Sin is the same way—one tiny opening can lead to destruction. 
3. I must treat the weeds continually. Even if I hope to treat them every day, even one day without treatment gives them a foothold to grow and spread. The enemy is sly enough that he finds that same kind of foothold anytime I don’t deal immediately with my sin. 
4. If I neglect the weeds, they only spread . . . and destroy. They can, in fact, fill an entire driveway joint while I’m on vacation or traveling. Sin grows the same way: one unaddressed sin becomes two, which become three, which slowly erode and destroy. 
5. They can ruin an otherwise nice yard. We pay a lot of money for lawn and tree treatments, and we work hard to keep the grass cut and trimmed nicely. If we were to let grass and weeds in the driveway remain, though, everything else would lose some of its beauty. I fear we need not look far to find leaders whose weeds of sin have now also ruined much. 
6. Just pulling the weeds is seldom enough. Often, pulling the weeds leaves the root in the ground – and the problem comes back quickly. Likewise, dealing with sin without eradicating its root is nothing more than turning over a new leaf. 
7. The day may come when the world sees the weeds as acceptable – but they’ll still be weeds. No matter what the world says, weeds still destroy. So does sin, even if the world redefines it.  

Here’s my prayer: that each of us would deal thoroughly with our weeds of sin as we begin a new week.