God's ...

GOD’S GARDEN

Things that compete with peace are like the weeds competing with your flowers to dominate the space, nutrients, sunlight, water and character of your garden or lawn.

Weeds so easily spread, multiply and thrive because they are at their best when they are most shallow. You see, most all weeds reproduce via an over-abundance of small, lightweight seeds that very easily, naturally and quickly spread out over short and great distances alike by the most common and simple actions as wind, rain, briefly clinging to insects, animals and people. To germinate (phase from a seed to a growing plant) all they need is to rest upon the top of the ground with the barest amount of soil, water and sun. Once rooted, even a little, weed tend to be very drought-resistant and are avoided by most plant-predators. Weeds as a group are infamously difficult to get rid of for very long. But individual weeds are generally very easy to destroy because of their shallow roots.

Sure there are any number of annual flowers that also start from seeds. But most of them need to be planted quite a bit deeper and are much more sensitive to changes in soil, water and sun. Also, even the best and strongest of annuals only live for one season.

Now compare these to everyone’s favorite perennials. Most perennials – and certainly the ones most likely to survive and thrive – need to start as bulbs or are split off from a successful ’parent.’ They must be planted much deeper in the soil, surrounded by nutrients, well watered, and given abundant time to settle and establish their root system before they sprout above ground. Even then, they need normally need a season of specialized nourishment, protection, and proper environment if they are to complete their growth and flower. Then, if they are to flower in abundance and/or re- bloom, they need to continue to be carefully cared for: nourished, protected, and ’dead-headed.’ That is, those parts which have died, grown out their purpose or become sick or diseased need to be pruned away before the rest can bloom. Perennials can be a lot more work, require a lot more attention and knowledgeable care, and still uncertain about how they will prosper from one parcel of land to the next. Yet, when they do thrive and are allowed to grow strong they will keep coming back year after year. Not only that, but as longer as they continue to be carefully nurtured and protected, they will get stronger and more abundant with each new season. As that occurs, the weeds and temporary changes in conditions and environment will have less and less of an adverse impact upon them.

What’s the point?

Ungodly and unbiblical attitudes and behaviors, even and especially within believers are the weeds in God’s Kingdom Garden. They often look like flowers, act like flowers, and even bloom like flowers, but their beauty is fleeting at best and their impact always becomes ugly and destructive.