Weed Be Gone

While walking the other day, I giggled when I looked down at the sidewalk. This particular sidewalk was around a vacant lot. It was cracked, but you couldn't really see the cracks because they were filled with weeds.I was just hoping I wouldn't trip over them. As your Daddy knows, it takes a lot for me to just walk over those weeds and not just start yanking them out or at least running to grab my weed sprayer to kill them. It reminds me of that quote in the movie Jurassic Park where Jeff Goldblum's character warns the dinosaur geneticists, "Life finds a way." If there is a crack in the ground, weeds will grow. They always do.

It's the same with our lives. If there is even the slightest crack in our spiritual armor, weeds will grow. And if you continue to let them grow, they get even worse. For example, that one cuss word you utter. Just that one, opens the door for others to flow through. That one little white lie can lead to many, many more. Gossiping a little leads to gossiping a lot. Satan is desperately looking to get a foot hold (Ephesians 4:27). He is prowling, Peter tells us, like a lion looking to devour us. (1 Peter 5:8)

There is a reason why Paul uses armor as an example of our spiritual life in Ephesians 6. Armor for the warrior covers all the vulnerable parts that could lead to death: head, heart, internal organs, sometimes even the full body like arms and legs of medieval knights (I chuckle thinking of them trying to walk). But there are weaknesses even in those full body armor suits. Necks, under the arms, behind the knees. Wherever there's a crack, that is where the archers would aim. Satan, too, is looking for the cracks. So Paul warns us to have the helmet of salvation, breastplate of righteousness, belt of truth, shield of faith and good news shoes on while holding the sword of the Spirit which is the Word of God. Salvation, righteousness, truth, faith, the Word ... that is our armor! And we must be fully covered to be fully safe.

My dear children, know that every single day Satan is looking for your weaknesses. Every. Single. Day. How can he pull you from the Father? How can he get you to fail? Even just a little, because that just gives him an easier opportunity to get you to fail faster and harder the next time. The battle is on. He will try to get you to sin. Your whole marriage long, he will be working on you. How can I tempt them to ... ? He's got thousands of years of experience at temptation, and his success is epic. The Bible is full of relatable stories of failure. We are not immune to temptation. Even Christ was tempted. However, with God's help we can defeat it. Notice that with Christ, it was the Word He used in His defense. So meditate on it, memorize it, read and study the Word and let it become part of you ... so that there are no cracks for Satan to find.

When I got home from my walk, I saw a teeny tiny little weed growing near my front door and to its left an even tinier one. I grabbed the larger of the too and instantly pulled it out. But the tinier one,I couldn't get a grip on it. Just days later, that weed was a full blown plant. That's all it took. Yes, I got a good hold of it and yanked it out, but I noticed a tiny bit of the root was still in there. It will be back. So see to it when you are armoring up, if you already have some weeds, don't just pull out what's at the surface. Get to the root of it and destroy it. Or it will attempt to come back.

Arm yourself. Weed out the bad. Get to the root of it. Get it before it gets you. You will save yourself much heartache, confusion and deeper sin by prevention, protection and a good thorough weeding.

Discussion: Are there weeds in your life that need pulling? What are some areas where you need some spiritual armor strengthening? Can you share a story where you let a "weed" grow in your life and its consequences.

Prayer: Sometimes, Father, we don't notice at first the evil that is lurking and successfully creeping into our lives. Give us your Holy Spirit incite to catch those moment and eliminate the temptation from our lives. Give us courage, strength and perseverance. In Christ we pray, Amen.

Toxic Talk

Last Saturday your Daddy received a call from the sports information director at a college where one of the newspaper's photographers was shooting the football game. The director told your Daddy his photographer was shooting inappropriate photos of cheerleaders at the game and would be thrown out if he didn't change his behavior. Your father immediately called the photographer to find out what was going on. The photographer was surprised by your Dad's call. He took a picture of a girl on the dance team wearing a sequined neck brace, showing her still doing her job inspiring the fans with this obvious injury. Your Dad straightened it out with the the SI director, but in the meantime, rumors were flying between the dance team girl (who obviously didn't want her photo taken) the police officer she spoke to, the sports information team and others on the field and in the press box. One person's misinformation was putting a photographer and the newspaper's reputation in a shady position. Had the police officer spoke directly to the photographer and asked to see his photo, he would have seen there was no cause for alarm or the harmful accusations. The SI director apologized to the photographer and all was fine.

I bring this up for several reasons. First of all to show you how gossip takes a life of its own, spreading like a cancer. Secondly, to make sure if you ever hear information about anyone, that you check it out at the source. Thirdly, absolutely never share the information with anyone else. And lastly, be careful who you share private information with.

When you're young, it's pretty common to share with your friends how you feel about someone you're interested in or dating. But once you've committed to that person, those conversations are off the table. Unless your betrothed or spouse is abusing you  - in which case that need immediate attention - what happens between you both is between you both. You do not share arguments or private conversations with anyone else. Ever. It is no one's business and puts your loved one in an awkward position if others are partial to that kind of information. If you are dealing with something that requires counseling, then by all means, get some, and share it with that Christian counselor alone. Otherwise, keep the private, private.

Proverbs 26:20 says, "Without wood a fire goes out; without a gossip a quarrel dies down." We have been in many situations in our lives where we were in a place where gossip began. You can feel in the pit of your stomach when something is a gossip situation. It's the Holy Spirit's way of filtering what is necessary and needless. The bitter can take root, feeding off others and can be toxic to those sharing the information. James warns in his letter in chapter 3 verse 8, the tongue can be "a restless evil, full of deadly poison." If in that situation, simply remove yourself from the conversation for the sake of grace. You can even say something gently to that effect. It will stop the conversation cold and hold the gossiper accountable. "He who gossips to you, will gossip of you," the Spanish proverb says. And Benjamin Franklin once wrote, "Three can keep a secret if two are dead." So be careful in your speech. When in doubt, hold your tongue.

1 Peter 4:11 says, "If anyone speaks, they should do so as one who speaks the very words of God." Communication is designed to bring people together, to edify and encourage. See to it yours does.

Discussion: Have either of you been in a situation where you know someone was gossiping to you? Have you been tempted to share private information about the two of you with others?

Prayer: Lord God, you have taught us that a gossip can separate close friends (Proverbs 16:28). Help us to be mindful to recognize when we should and shouldn't listen to information and likewise should and shouldn't speak. Let your Holy Spirit guide us in wisdom. Help us to remember to keep our confidences out of love for each other and speak with grace. In the sweet name of Jesus, Amen.