When the weeds attempt to pluck us

A woman once told me, “We are to plant seeds, not pull weeds.”

She explained that the enemy comes in the night to plant weeds. As the weeds grow, it can be hard to tell a counterfeit Christian from one who is truly hungry for God.

I knew the woman was speaking from her interpretation of Matthew 13, and although I knew the story, her delivery caught my attention in a way that made me feel like I was hearing the teaching for the first time.

“The enemy wants people who are starving for nourishment to become resistant to the truth,” she added. “When this happens, you can tell because people become more interested in hearing their own words rather than following The Word.”

I could not help but think of how many people, including myself, have used justification as a method of confession at one time or another. Even the slightest avoidance of recognizing the weedy nature of self aligns us with our will more than God’s.

In the parable of the weeds, we are told to remember that judgment is God’s to administer. We never fully know God's plans, nor can we think ourselves wise enough to understand the breadth of God’s impact upon another. God can see possibility and purpose even in the weeds Satan has planted to damage the fields.

I have met damaged people who have injured others in unspeakable ways. And yet, by the grace and mercy of God, they have separated themselves from their maleficence, surrendered to Christ, and now praise the very God they once abhorred.

Weeds are fast-growing, and we can quickly become entangled with them in the temporal, fighting against failed expectations and distracting us from deepening our roots. In this effort of the enemy, we become vulnerable, easily plucked as our soil is shallow.

What is something you are giving your attention to that is distracting you from staying rooted in Christ?

In a broader sense, there are all types of weeds: blatant offenders, covert manipulators, mockers of God, pride, lack of faith, incessant worry, loss of contentment, misery, and so on.

I have known and felt the cutting edges and choking nature of many weeds, some purposed and positioned to do me harm despite appearing benign. And yet, I have found that God’s purpose within my pain ultimately becomes greater than Satan’s painful pathways.

One of my greatest challenges has been battling with my fears rather than giving them to God. I find that I wrestle with the weeds of thought, often returning to past narratives or casting my imagination into a future of worst-case scenarios. I end up frustrating my faith and damaging my peace. This internal struggle often feels like I am wrestling with thorny weeds that keep coming back, making it harder for me to lean into or feel competent enough to surrender to God and trust His plan for my life.

However, despite these infirmities of self, I remain determined to press against my nature and be of use to God.

I believe God has used both the weeds and the wheat to refine me. As such, I am thankful for it all. That which has scarred me serves as a reminder of Who saved me. That which troubles my anxieties serves as notice to dig deep into the source of my faith rather than my situation.

Life is hard, and it can feel like we are walking amongst the parched soil of hardened hearts. May we be intentional about what we are hungry for so that we can discern what is nourishing, edifying, and useful. When the weeds attempt to pluck us, as they most certainly will, may we surrender our attention to the power of God to keep us steady in His plan and purpose for our lives.