The Weeds Within: A Spiritual Lesson from the Garden
Tonight was an unusual night—I found myself gardening.
My parents have always loved the garden. They grow mangoes, bananas, coconuts, and more. I've tasted the sweetness of mangoes nurtured in our backyard, peeled small bananas fresh off the plant for breakfast, and sipped cool coconut water on hot days. The fruit of their labor is something I’ve always appreciated, even if I’ve never joined in the work much—until today.
Amid the fruit-bearing trees and lush banana plants, something else has been growing: weeds.
Weeds Don’t Wait for Permission
Weeds grow where you least expect them. Even in the healthiest of gardens, they show up—silent, creeping, and uninvited. From one corner of the backyard, I watched them slowly spread. At first, they looked like grass. From a distance, you couldn’t tell the difference. But today, I got close—and the truth became clear.
The weeds had overtaken everything. They’d not only invaded the yard—they’d killed the grass.
Pulling Up the Roots
I decided to help my father clear the weeds. With a shovel in hand (which I used poorly, I’ll admit), I dug deep under the surface. To remove the weed, I had to cut through the soil and pull it out by the root. It was hard. I left with cuts and scrapes—physical reminders of what it takes to deal with something that’s been ignored too long.
What struck me most was how deceptive the weeds were. From the inside of the house, the backyard looked green and lush. But up close, I saw the truth: the weeds had taken over.
A Spiritual Mirror
Today’s gardening session became a spiritual mirror. I saw how easily small weeds in my life—habits, thoughts, distractions, sins—could take root and spread. I saw how, if ignored, they choke out the good things, even as they mimic growth from a distance.
I was reminded of Proverbs 24:30–31:
“I passed by the field of a sluggard… and behold, it was all overgrown with thorns; the ground was covered with nettles, and its stone wall was broken down.”
Neglected weeds grow. But they don’t stay small.
Ask the Holy Spirit to Show You
I encourage you to pause and reflect:
What weeds might be growing unnoticed in your life?
What habits or thoughts are choking out the fruit God wants to cultivate in you?
Are there areas you’ve been viewing from a distance, assuming all is well?
Ask the Holy Spirit to help you see them clearly—and to give you the courage and wisdom to dig them out.
Gardening may be simple, but today it became sacred. I don’t want to just look green from afar—I want to grow what’s good, deep, and lasting.