Watering The Weeds

Welcome to today's encouragement from Our Daily Bread. Today's reading titled, Watering the Weeds, was written by Adam R. Holes. This spring, weeds attacked our backyard like something out of Jurassic Park.

One got so big that when I tried to pull it out, I feared I might injure myself. Before I could find a spade to whack it down, I noticed that my daughter was actually pouring water on it. Why are you watering the weeds? I exclaimed.

I want to see how big it will get, she replied with an impish grin. Weeds aren't something we intentionally nourish, but as I thought about it, I realized that sometimes we do water the weeds in our spiritual lives, feeding desires that strangle our growth. Paul writes about this in Galatians 5, verses 13-26, where he contrasts living by the flesh with living by the Spirit.

He says trying to follow the rules alone won't establish the kind of weed-free life we long for. Instead, to avoid watering the weeds, he instructs us to walk by the Spirit. He adds that being in regular step with God is what frees us from the impulse to gratify the desires of the flesh.

It's a lifelong process to fully understand Paul's teaching, but I love the simplicity of his guidance. Instead of growing something unwanted by nourishing our own self-focused desires, when we're cultivating our relationship with God, we grow fruit and reap the harvest of Godly life. Today's Our Daily Bread devotional scripture reading is from Galatians chapter 5, verses 13-26. You my brothers and sisters were called to be free, but do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh, rather serve one another humbly in love. For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command, love your neighbor as yourself.

If you bite and devour each other, watch out, or you will be destroyed by each other. So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh.

They are in conflict with each other, so that you are not to do whatever you want. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. The acts of the flesh are obvious, sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery, idolatry and witchcraft, hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions, and envy, drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.

Against such things there is no law. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other.

Let's pray. Father, sometimes we cultivate and water the weeds in our life. Help us to instead experience being in step with you as you produce spiritual fruit in our lives. Thank you, Lord. It's in Jesus' name we pray. Amen. Thanks for listening today. I'm Stephen Tabor and today's encouragement was provided by Our Daily Bread Ministries.