Photo by: Galen Parks Smith
Last year, my wife and I bought our first home. After eight years, two kids, and endless trips across the country, we finally put down roots here in the Atlanta area. The house was in great shape, but the yard was definitely going to need some attention. But, it was a huge backyard, something that seemed unheard of in Atlanta, so we decided to go forward.
One of the first things I noticed was a sprawling of ivy in the backyard. Since it took up nearly half the yard, it needed my attention fairly quickly. Of course, anyone who has ever dealt with clearing vines could immediately foresee the trouble I was in for. I tried using a rake (broke it), poison (didn't work), anything I could to get rid of it. Finally, I had to literally go in and pull the ivy out. After a year, I'm just now clearing it.
The trees also had to be cleared, which meant I had to literally cut the the vines with an ax. As I cut the vines, which almost seemed like branches, I sometimes cut into the tree. Now, the vines are dying and shriveling, and it appears that I have saved the trees.
As I have been working with this vine, I began to think about the effects of sin. After all, many people feel that they can put themselves in compromising situations without effect, but its not true. Jesus said on numerous occasions to stay from it. Paul said to flee from it. Sin will quietly, but effectively, wrap itself around you and feed off of you until your spirituality dies. If you do decide to purge the sin, it can be a painful process, and sometimes God has to cut to our core to save us. Even after years have passed, you can still see the effects that sin had on our lives.
God, like a great father, warns us to stay away not to be controlling, but to protect us from hurt and pain. But, even if we do fall, He gives us the chance to reconcile us to Him. So many people have said that they cannot serve a God that does not accept them for who they are. That's so far from the truth - He does accept you for who you are! But, like a great gardener, He begins to prune away the harmful weeds and vines that have choked us from becoming who we could be - a great and glorious garden. By the way, God does know a thing or two about beautiful gardens, as I recall. It was the first dwelling place for His most magnificent creation - us.
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