WEED WORK

One of the most challenging things in recovery is dealing with the fallout from past choices. In 12 step vernacular it is this whole notion of “inventory”. The thought is that now that we have stepped away from our compulsion or more accurately put, our disobedience and sin, it is time to turn around and take a fearless look at the “damage”our past choices have made and learn from them.

Let me tell you it can be a scary and even overwhelming process.

To paint a picture, that process is like sifting through a garbage dump or being faced with acres of landscape that has grown over with weeds and needs clearing.

It is a “painful process” yet it is so important to moving forward.

In essence, we “NEED TO WEED”.

And no, I didn’t say we have the need FOR weed it is not 4:20 in the afternoon (recovery reference J) but we need TO weed.

We need to take a few moments each day to weed out all the greed, worry, fear, selfishness, cynicism, self-pity, and other negative tendencies that may have taken root in our hearts. We need to clear our minds and spirits of those sinful tendencies of the past. We need to purge those sneaky sins of selfishness. They all have to be weeded out in order for us to clear the deck for GOD to plant and cultivate new habits and new characteristics like joy, peace, and most importantly for us who have been “over-grown”with compulsion, self-control.

Ephesians 4:20-24
…everything—and I do mean everything—connected with that old way of life has to go. It's rotten through and through. Get rid of it! And then take on an entirely new way of life—a God-fashioned life, a life renewed from the inside and working itself into your conduct as God accurately reproduces his character in you.

And GOD has equipped us with the ULTIMATE WEED WHACKER...confession.

For GOD promises restoration when we confess, in other words He promises to restore the landscape of our lives when we “weed”.

James 5:16 (AMP)

¹⁶ Confess to one another therefore your faults (your slips, your false steps, your offenses, your sins) and pray [also] for one another, that you may be healed and restored [to a spiritual tone of mind and heart]. The earnest (heartfelt, continued) prayer of a righteous man makes tremendous power available [dynamic in its working].

Now I will be the first to say, it is no fun to confess that I WAS wrong and that I will get things wrong again today. It is no fun to face that landscape of weeds each and every day. I know have a ton of them still strewn over my life and unfortunately have some pesky ones that even when I pull them up they continue to resurface and ugly up the place all over again.

But we have to keep weeding.

I am not going to sugar coat it, WEEDING is a strenuous and often painful process. Facing bad consequences, dealing with the fallout of poor decisions or to trying to reconcile broken or bent relationships is no picnic. But it is worth it! It does draw us closer to GOD.

1 Peter 4:2

…Think of your sufferings as a weaning from that old sinful habit of always expecting to get your own way. Then you'll be able to live out your days free to pursue what God wants instead of being tyrannized by what you want.

So if you are like me and have some daily “WEED-WORK” to do, don’t be discouraged. It is the process to real FREEDOM, the Word says so. Fill your mind with the truth and remember you are forgiven and fearlessly face that landscape and get to WEEDING.

1 John 2:12
I remind you, my dear children: Your sins are forgiven in Jesus' name.

Have a blessed day!

I love you all.

Freedom Church

Pastor GDelaney