It was incredible how, in just a few short weeks, the weeds had taken over! My lush, beautiful garden that had been thriving was now turned into a topsy-turvy mess. The plants that were growing so large and green only weeks before now were entangled with weeds, which were threatening to choke out the plants.
I remember thinking that my garden was planted on time for the first time EVER, and everything was ahead of schedule! I felt a sense of pride because all of our family’s hard work had finally paid off! My husband and the boys had worked to make new raised beds and to rebuild the fence around the garden. The girls had helped me dig, hoe, rake, and plant everything. Then in an instant, a broken foot changed everything about my summer plans for my garden.
My frustration began to mount as I tried in vain to pull out the weeds that were rooted so deeply. Other weeds were entwined and wrapped around so tightly, so much so that the process of pulling them out destroyed some of my beautiful plants.
As I worked, I could not help but see the comparison of the situation at hand to what bitterness does in our lives. One little seed can seem so small. As we let that tiny seed sink into the fertile soil of our hearts, it is so easy to justify to ourselves why we feel the way we do. As it soaks in the heat of our angry thoughts, it quickly begins to take root. The more we dwell on how much we were wronged, the faster it begins to grow. In order to ease our guilt, perhaps we begin to share our saga with those around us. It does not take much to gain support in our cause; after all, we have a good reason to be bitter! It does not take long for the once happy, lush garden of our hearts to become a topsy-turvy mess. We realize that our joy is gone and that those closest to us are now entwined and entangled in our bitterness. As we try to regain control and dig out the roots, we damage the plants that have the weeds growing around them.
Hebrews 12:15 says, Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled; Whether we mean to or not, we can affect the walk of those around us.
Ephesians 4 talks about our walk as a believer. Verse 29 was one that I heard often when we were growing up. Mama would quote, Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers.
She would ask us, “Now, what were you just telling me about that person? Were you trying to make me think good about him, or were you trying to make me think something bad about him?” Well, we usually did not have much to say after that question!
Verse 30 talks about not grieving the Holy Spirit. Verse 31 starts out by saying, Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice: Then, verse 32 pretty much comes in as the heavy hitter to sum it all up. It reads, And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you. Wow! That last part struck me between the eyes! God has forgiven me of an awful amount of wrongdoings; He has forgiven me of all of my sins, past, present, and future! He made me to be justified—just as if I had never sinned at all! After all this, how can we feel that our seeds of bitterness are justified? This thought is quite humbling, isn’t it?
Maybe that is why the hymn says, “I come to the garden alone.” It is amazing how God can speak to our hearts! Sometimes God’s voice is heard in the loud clap of thunder, and sometimes it is heard in the still, quiet moments. Sometimes He even uses the tangled mess of an overgrown garden to teach us to be careful of what we allow to take root in our hearts—those hearts that belong to Him.
by Molly Rager
