When Your Life Feels in the Weeds
Rikki Permenter, MAMFC, Th. M.
If anyone, then, knows the good they ought to do and doesn’t do it, it is sin for them.
2 Thessalonians 2:13
Like I’ve told you guys before, my husband and I have a garden. I talk a big game about it but it is sort of a disaster. I’m positive the deer and birds have enjoyed it way more than we we have this year. The problem we’ve encountered is weeds. This year we started out hopeful but we really didn’t give our garden the attention it deserved. With all the rain (and heat) we didn’t spend adequate time weeding and pruning. This year we maybe got 5 tomatoes when last year by now we probably had 100.
Yesterday, I was standing outside looking at the huge mess of a weed garden and I was thinking about how weeds are kind of like sin in our life. Weeds pop up without your wanting them, they grow without you fussing over them, and the choke out any real veggies you’re trying to grow if you don’t actively stop them. All you really need to do for weeds to thrive is ignore them. Sin is just this same way. Sin sneaks into your life and if you aren't actively praying against it and striving for holiness you’ll find yourself and your good intentions being choked out.
These thoughts really convicted me this week. Where in your life are you ignoring sin? Where in life are you complacently just going through the motions? Where in life (if you’re being honest with yourself ) do you just need to bush hog and start over next season fresh? Take a minute to evaluate- ask God and he will show you areas you need to pursue intentional holiness.
Author Bio
Rikki Permenter, MAMFC, Th.M., is the owner of Bent Tree Counseling in Clinton, La. She is currently a Licensed Professional Counselor and Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist in the state of Louisiana. She is the wife of Cole Permenter, pastor of Bluff Creek Baptist and a doctoral student at New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary. Interested in counseling or have questions? Check out her website www.benttreecounseling.com.
This article can be found in print in the monthly Baptist Association of Southeast Louisiana newsletter.
