 |
| Photo from Wikimedia.org |
Wild onions grew
out of control at our former home. Whether I wanted to plant mums, hosta, or
lamb’s ear, no matter where I dug up the ground, I unearthed tiny onion bulbs.
I tried pulling the weeds out by the leaves but that didn’t work too well. They
just seemed to multiply year after year. I had to dig up the plant, pull out
the onion down to the bulbs and roots, and sift through the dirt. Even then, I
never got it all; I had to be vigilant week after week. The onion persistently
grew in our soil.
As I worked at
ridding our yard of the wild onions, I felt God asking me, “Are you working as
hard at keeping sin out of your life, Pam?”
Sin can proliferate as easily as that weed. Like the propagation of a
single onion bulb, one little nasty word, one small act of selfishness, can
escalate quickly. Left un-repented and un-confessed sin can become a habit—with
amazing speed and devastating results.
What can we do
about it? How do we root
out sins before they sprout? Here are a few Scriptural tips I have found helpful:
- God is very good at pointing out where I need to do a bit of weeding. All it takes is a few moments at the end of the day. When I take the time to confess my sins to God, He digs out the root of the problem, brings about forgiveness, and restores my relationship with Him. (1 John 1:9)
- James 5:16 recommends confessing our downfalls and weaknesses not just to God, but to another Christian. Being held accountable makes me less likely to fall back into a behavior that is displeasing to God. Knowing someone is praying for me strengthens my resolve and loosens sin's grip.
- Studying God’s perspective on a particular sin sheds light on just how seriously God views it. His Word reveals what God thinks and gives me reasons for NOT disobeying. As Hebrews 4:12 says, “The word of God is alive and active, sharper than any double-edged sword. It cuts all the way through, to where soul and spirit meet, to where joints and marrow come together. It judges the desires and thoughts of the heart.”
How do you weed
out “wild onions” in your life before they proliferate and spread? What
Scripture do you find to be a powerful tool in getting to the root of the
problem?
Blessings!
Pam©2014 Pamela D. Williams
