by Antje Hill
I shook my head in disbelief at the weeds that had managed to come up in our flowerbeds. They were green and disgustingly healthy-looking, more so than the flowers we had planted in the spring. I knew these weeds would have to be taken out by the root if we were to be rid of them.
This is not unlike our spiritual life. No matter how God-like we want to be, a little neglect is all it takes for weeds to take root in our life. Less than Christ-like characteristics can creep in slowly with no warning. We don’t wake up one morning and decide to be bitter or angry or unforgiving. It happens from neglect of letting God lead our lives.
In today’s fast-paced world, it is easy to lose patience, get angry, forego forgiveness or be extremely judgmental of people. These attitudes flourish when we don’t use God’s powerful Word as poison control to get at the root of the problem. Supernatural? You bet it is. There are no “self-help” books that can do for us what our Creator can. He made us, He understands our lean-to selfish ways. He also knows how to lead us to peace and contentment.
A gentle breeze blew as if the Holy Spirit was saying, “I’m here. Don’t neglect our relationship. I am your peace and contentment. I will keep the weeds out.”
Isaiah says of God in 26:3 (NKJV),
You will keep him in perfect peace, Whose mind is stayed on You, Because he trusts in You.
God knows all about peace. It’s paid for and He is willing to take us there and keep us there, on a daily basis.
Written words have changed my life. As a result, I have a deep desire to bring hope and help to others by putting my heart on paper. I am a columnist for Parents & Kids magazine and write to help others avoid mistakes I made in marriage, parenting and life itself. My husband and I spend our time between Mississippi and Michigan. We have three sons and a passion for all the days we’ve been given to make a difference in our world.
