I always enjoy planting flowers each spring. The colors are bright and alive delivering a brilliant landscape whether in the ground or in pots. Plus, the grass turns green delivering a perfect tapestry (St. Augustine always preferred). All that said, I never liked maintaining the yard. Weeds pop up everywhere often in the craziest places like the seams in concrete. I swear that these roots go all the way to China! If not careful, weeds will dominate your yard. It takes a lot of work to control weeds. I hate weeds!
In our personal life, if we are not careful, weeds with deep roots pop up and dominate our life. Allow me to highlight some weeds that God hates:
Hebrews 12:15 discusses a weed that is devastating to our heart, “See to it that no one falls short of the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many.” The “bitter weed” wrecks your life if allowed to grow. It “causes trouble and defiles many” producing constant harshness and hurt in our relationships. No one wants to be around a bitter person! You’re constantly sitting on “pins and needles” while dealing with their bitterness towards others. Pull up these roots that grow deeper and deeper into your soul resulting in the defilement of our families and friendships.
1 Timothy 6:9&10 discusses another destructive weed with roots that choke the vitality of your spiritual life, “Those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.” The pride, selfishness, uncompromising behavior, and narcissism of the “love-of-money weed” wrecks families and produces associations (not friendships) that are based on “me”. Everything revolves around money which ruins relationships and pierces with many griefs. This root produces superficiality without any depth which is ugly. Humble yourself, while you have time, pulling the roots of these weeds out of your soul.
Job 19:28 discusses “the root of the trouble lies in him.” Trouble is caused by a temporal value system not eternal. It focuses on this world and the things of the flesh which end up in disappointment and judgement. Hoe these roots out of your heart.
Matthew 15:13 states, “Every plant that my heavenly Father has not planted will be pulled up by the roots.” If it is not of God, it has no eternal value and will be destroyed.
In Ephesians 3:17&18, Paul the Apostle, “prays that you, being rooted and established in love, 18 may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ.” In Colossians 2:6&7, Paul instructs us, “Just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in him, 7 rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.” If it is not rooted and established in love, built up in Him, strengthened in the faith, and overflowing with thanksgiving, get rid of it. It’s a weed. God hates weeds!
Barnabas Man 