The world famous cryptozoologist Missouri Mark Applegate, bearing his trademark machete and with sidekick Spider Monkey Cheeto grasping with little white knuckles to his shoulder, fights meter by meter through the rainforest. Faint sounds of gibbon monkeys seem to laugh in a more and more pronounced way at the struggle of the overmatched scientist. Lemurs jaunt effortlessly throughout the 
vicinity, mocking Missouri Mark’s miniscule 
movement. After what seems like months, the hero finally emerges at the end of the forest...uhh...er...the end of his stinking overgrown yard. No monkeys, no lemurs. Displaced animals, a lawnmower preparing to file a protest with his union steward, and what appear to be hay rows ready to be bailed are the true attributes of my yard today. Three weeks between mowing has taken its toll.
vicinity, mocking Missouri Mark’s miniscule 
movement. After what seems like months, the hero finally emerges at the end of the forest...uhh...er...the end of his stinking overgrown yard. No monkeys, no lemurs. Displaced animals, a lawnmower preparing to file a protest with his union steward, and what appear to be hay rows ready to be bailed are the true attributes of my yard today. Three weeks between mowing has taken its toll.There are a multitude of lessons to be learned from letting your yard get overgrown. Thomas Manton, a somewhat Puritan preacher who lived from 1620-1677, inspired C.H. Spurgeon to 
later edit some interesting thoughts in a discourse called Illustrations and Meditations. On page 21 subtitled “Choking the Weeds”, Manton through Spurgeon’s lens writes “The way to destroy ill weeds is to plant good herbs that are contrary. We have all heard about weeds choking out the wheat; if we were wise we should learn from our enemy, and endeavor to choke the weeds by the wheat. Pre-occupation of mind is a great safeguard from temptation. Fill a bushel with corn, and you will keep out the chaff: have the heart stored with holy things, and the vanities of the world will not so readily obtain a lodging-place.”
Lesson one through the infinitely less astute columnist: Plant good grass and take care of it. After a mere 3 weeks of neglect, my yard had rainforest-like foliage. I had tall, vine looking flowers, what appeared to be cactuses, and a plethora of other flora canvassing my yard. Standing water from last night, shrouded by tall grass, filled my mowing shoes as I trod through its murky reaches. Time turned small green “shoots” into robust green “cannon blasts”, if you will. These must be pulled quickly lest they take over. In a spiritual sense, similar problems arise. The busier your life becomes, the more the weeds crowd out your grass in a spiritual sense. Sin creeps in like a small weed. It
grows steadily until it kills all around it. Some busyness can look attractive, with some nice flowers so to speak. However, these tall “flowers” are not grass, and will become overgrown and kill everything around them before you know it. As painful as it is, they must be pulled before they kill 
around it. We call this repenting in Christianity. Turning from sin, plucking it if you will, and committing to stopping it from coming back is a hallmark of a Christian (see Romans 7 and Psalm 51). As Theologian Barney Fife would say, “You gotta nip it in the bud!”
later edit some interesting thoughts in a discourse called Illustrations and Meditations. On page 21 subtitled “Choking the Weeds”, Manton through Spurgeon’s lens writes “The way to destroy ill weeds is to plant good herbs that are contrary. We have all heard about weeds choking out the wheat; if we were wise we should learn from our enemy, and endeavor to choke the weeds by the wheat. Pre-occupation of mind is a great safeguard from temptation. Fill a bushel with corn, and you will keep out the chaff: have the heart stored with holy things, and the vanities of the world will not so readily obtain a lodging-place.”Lesson one through the infinitely less astute columnist: Plant good grass and take care of it. After a mere 3 weeks of neglect, my yard had rainforest-like foliage. I had tall, vine looking flowers, what appeared to be cactuses, and a plethora of other flora canvassing my yard. Standing water from last night, shrouded by tall grass, filled my mowing shoes as I trod through its murky reaches. Time turned small green “shoots” into robust green “cannon blasts”, if you will. These must be pulled quickly lest they take over. In a spiritual sense, similar problems arise. The busier your life becomes, the more the weeds crowd out your grass in a spiritual sense. Sin creeps in like a small weed. It
grows steadily until it kills all around it. Some busyness can look attractive, with some nice flowers so to speak. However, these tall “flowers” are not grass, and will become overgrown and kill everything around them before you know it. As painful as it is, they must be pulled before they kill 
around it. We call this repenting in Christianity. Turning from sin, plucking it if you will, and committing to stopping it from coming back is a hallmark of a Christian (see Romans 7 and Psalm 51). As Theologian Barney Fife would say, “You gotta nip it in the bud!”Lesson number two: In addition to pulling weeds, plant more grass. As our writer states so eloquently, “if we were wise we should learn from our enemy, and endeavor to choke the weeds by the wheat”. The longer you distance yourself from the spiritual “disciplines” of our faith, the more the weeds grow. If you feel as though your spiritual yard is looking rough, examine your walk with Christ. How is your prayer life? How is your Bible reading? Are you meeting with fellow Christians to sharpen your mower blades, so to speak? The problem isn’t with God.
Last lesson among the countless available is a plea: Do you prefer the weeds? Are you indifferent? Possibly the most horrific verse in the Bible is 1 John 3:8a (ESV) says “Whoever makes a practice of sinning is of the devil”. See, everyone has eternal life. Those who repent and trust Jesus Christ alone to save them from the sin debt their life has accrued will spend eternity in Heaven. Those who do not will be granted their desire of eternal separation from God in a real place of punishment called Hell. God is equally a God of Love and a God of Justi
ce. He must punish sin. Look at Exodus 20, the Ten Commandments. Have you lied? Have you stolen? Have you committed adultery (with Jesus clarification including lustful thoughts being counted as adultery included)? Yeah...me too. We need a substitute to take our punishment, and Jesus Christ is just that if we repent and trust Him to save us. I have done that. Have you?
ce. He must punish sin. Look at Exodus 20, the Ten Commandments. Have you lied? Have you stolen? Have you committed adultery (with Jesus clarification including lustful thoughts being counted as adultery included)? Yeah...me too. We need a substitute to take our punishment, and Jesus Christ is just that if we repent and trust Him to save us. I have done that. Have you?Three hours and four gas tanks later Missouri Mark conquered most of the yard. In the process he (and hopefully you too) has gained a new appreciation for the importance of proper yard maintenance. God Bless!
Bible Verse(s) of the week: The book of 1 John. Short but vital.
Bible Verse(s) of the week: The book of 1 John. Short but vital.
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