Instead of…

Many of you have flower gardens and I know you spend a lot of time pulling ugly weeds to make more room for your beautiful flowers; in hopes that the flowering plants will overrun the weeds and take over the space.

Grow, flowers, grow! Reach down deep and suck up all the nutrients from the ground. Leave nothing for those weeds. Reach up high for the sunlight and all it offers as well. Keep the weeds hidden beneath your leaves so they die in the darkness. Yes, speak softly and gently to those flowers and prune a little back for more growth. Right?

As one grows; the other will surely die for lack of attention.

And so it is, or can be, in the world around us. So much attention to the weeds and thorns of life. When the Bible says to overcome evil with good - isn’t that just like tending to your garden? Drown out the hurtful; crowd it out, with more lovingkindness.

Can you see it; envision it? Dream. Imagine. And now begin replacing. Displacing.

And let it begin with me. In my heart. My motives. My outlook. My impact.

 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here! 2 Corinthians 5:17

Starve the old out of its energy and strength and power. And the old, bitter, hurtful will be outnumbered. Spend less energy on trying not to be sinful and more focus on being more of what God wants you to be. Let the better take root. Let the better take over. 

Grow, dear child of God, grow! Reach down deep and suck up all the nutrients from the ground (the firm foundation of Christ). Leave nothing for those weeds. Reach up high for the sunlight and all it offers as well.  Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness but will have the light of life.”  John 8:12 Keep the weeds hidden beneath your leaves of trust and belief so they die in the darkness. Yes, speak softly and gently to those flowers of faith and prune back any doubts for more growth. 

Let the earth be full of His glory. 

From 1 Peter 3:8-12 MSG

 Summing up: Be agreeable, be sympathetic, be loving, be compassionate, be humble. That goes for all of you, no exceptions. No retaliation. No sharp-tongued sarcasm. Instead, bless—that’s your job, to bless. You’ll be a blessing and also get a blessing. Whoever wants to embrace life and see the day fill up with good, Here’s what you do: Say nothing evil or hurtful; Snub evil and cultivate good; run after peace for all you’re worth. God looks on all this with approval, listening and responding well to what he’s asked; But he turns his back on those who do evil things.