Weeds

When we arrived in Canada in 2001, it was spring and flowers were blooming everywhere. I saw open fields and lawns filled with yellow flowers, like small daisies. I thought they looked lovely, until someone told me that they were weeds called dandelions. Soon enough, the flowers wilted and turned into white balls which then dispersed seeds into the ground, assuring the growth of more weeds.

Dandelions are the bane of gardeners. They are difficult to remove and spread quickly, choking up good grass. Lawn pesticides have been banned in Toronto, so Jojo has resorted to using different concoctions and the old fashioned method of pulling out the whole plant. The secret is taking them out early enough so they don’t develop deep roots and making sure your grass is healthy and lush, so there’s no room for weeds to pop out. But this takes a lot of regular care and maintenance, and of course, time.

That is pretty much how temptation works in our life. It deludes us into thinking that it will bring something good and pleasing. Only later do we realize that we have already fallen deep into sin. By then, it’s difficult to stop, and then we resort to making all sorts of excuses for our behavior, or we feel guilty and stop, but go back to the sinful behavior again.

Living a holy life requires us to cling to Jesus and constantly seek his mercy and forgiveness. By filling our life with what is pleasing to God, there will be no room for sin. The secret to a healthy soul? Turn away from temptation, stop sin in its early stage and feed it daily with God’s word.

Therefore, sin must not reign over your mortal bodies so that you obey their desires. And do not present the parts of your bodies to sin as weapons for wickedness, but present yourselves to God as raised from the dead to life and the parts of your bodies to God as weapons for righteousness. (Romans 6:12-13)