A Victim of Neglect

Often when I'm tackling a big chore, I look for some spiritual parallel - something of a parable of sorts - to give my brain something to ponder while my hands are at work.

Today my chore was pulling thistles out of my big flowerbed behind my wagon wheel bench.  I have neglected most of my flowerbeds over the last year, doing only the bare minimum to keep them somewhat presentable.  Their chaotic condition is a source of embarrassment for me.

I put off the thistle project to the last thing of the day.  My inner-child was complaining and trying every tactic to get avoid the task.  I forged ahead knowing that if I let these things go to seed, next year will be worse.  With resolve I positioned my wheelbarrow, formulated a strategy, started pulling the plants up by their roots, and filled my wheelbarrow.  

My thoughts began to swirl in a way that apparently shut off the grumbling spigot in my brain.  I imagined my soul as a flowerbed.  The times when I neglected my soul (ashamedly, I admit) , selfish attitudes blew in and took root - like thistles do.  They rooted themselves in every part of my life.  Left unchecked they grew and multiplied until I was completely overrun.  They choked out the good.

I was a victim of my own neglect.  

It wasn't enough to just remove the rooted selfishness;  I needed to replace the bad with good, godly habits, thoughts, and attitudes in my soul's soil.   More importantly, I needed (and still need) God's constant help.  

Even after the soul is rid of bad and filled with good, it must still be maintained.   Good must be nurtured along; bad must be pulled out by the root.  Selfishness has a way of invading the tidiest soul if a close watch isn't kept.  How like the thistle is selfishness with its countless tiny seeds landing so effortlessly on the soul's soil! 

How I plan to protect and maintain my soul/flowerbed while being mindful that it's a job that will not be completely finished in this life:

Keep Christ at the center of my life

Obey His teaching

Study and know the Scriptures

Pray non-stop

Fellowship with other believers

Share the Gospel with others

Let God, the Master Gardener, do His work in me and through me.

Every day. 

Ps.  I pulled about 30-40 pounds of thistles out of that flowerbed!  Wow!