Is God using a blow torch in your life?

Weeds

Our backyard has a playground that is mulched to prevent weeds. However, those weeds are no joke and they keep coming up no matter what we’ve tried to do. Weed whack those things, and they come right back up within a week or two. Pull them, and maybe you’ll get an extra week reprieve. At this point, napalm is looking tempting, but unfortunately, it’s not an option (chemical weed killers are a no-go). It’s so frustrating.

So a very well-informed maintenance guy suggested we just burn those puppies right out of the ground. I honestly thought he was kidding at first. But oh no, he was serious. Blow torch them. I thought this would be sort of dangerous, and although you obviously have to be careful, it’s not at all what you may think. It’s a very controlled blast of fire that takes a few seconds to burn those weeds to a crisp. Initially, we thought we’d need a bucket of water to carry around with us to put out any potential fires, but it definitely wasn’t ever necessary.

Why weeding tips?

At this point, I’m sure you all are thinking, “Why in the world is this lady sharing weeding tips?” Well as I was torching those bad boys until they were shriveled up and black, I had a lot of time to think. Whenever I’ve done anything related to outdoor summer maintenance, the LORD seems to bring to light some kind of Truth He speaks through His creation.

You can pull or burn or spray those weeds on the surface level, but unless you get to the root, it doesn’t do much. And why is it so important to get rid of weeds? According to thefreedictionary.com, the definition of a weed is: “A plant considered undesirable, unattractive, or troublesome, especially one that grows where it is not wanted and often grows or spreads fast or takes the place of desired plants.”

This may be obvious, but it’s important to note that weeds have a way of messing up or even killing the good plants we may be raising. And another interesting point, is that a weed may sometimes be a good or desirable plant, but if it’s growing in the wrong spot, it’s still a weed.

Weeds and sin have a lot in common

Weeds are so similar to sin. Some sin is easy to eliminate, while others it seems as if you get rid of one, only to find three more in its place within the week. It’s like you’re playing whack-a-mole. Other times that great characteristic of ours can be such a blessing, except, of course, in this one little area of our life – it seems a bit misplaced. Anyone else or is it just me? For me, it’s my honesty which can morph into a filter problem that has gotten me into a touch of trouble.

Only the Gardener can truly help us navigate our weed-filled hearts. Sometimes He gently pulls out those sins. At other times, He breaks out a blow torch. It all just depends on the situation. I am so thankful to know that He is the One caring for my prone-to-be-weedy heart. It may not always feel good and even be painful, but He does it all for ultimately our good and His glory.

More than just aesthetics

This isn’t just about looking cleaned up on the outside. We may deceive some people on the surface level when we do the job ourselves and weed whack our hearts to look good for about a day. But it won’t last long, and it will quickly become obvious we still have some sin-filled roots to pull up. Only God knows how to treat our “weeds” and He knows what works best. When we allow Him to work on our hearts (aka sanctification), He can use us much more readily to further His kingdom. Again, for His glory and our good.

God may be using what feels like a blow torch in your life right now. Praise God, although I know it feels awful and hurts, He knows what He is doing. Anyone else been there? There are several great verses that speak to the fiery cleansing of God: Isaiah 48:10; Malachi 3:3; 1 Peter 1:7 (just to name a few).

God is good, all the time. Even when He uses a blow torch. Amen?