God's Glory Church

“And the one sown among the tares is the one who hears the word, but the troubles of this age and the delusion of riches drown out the word.” — Matthew 13:22

After planting a few seeds in my yard, I began to wait for the results. After reading that the seeds should germinate in ten to fourteen days, I checked often by watering them. Soon I saw several green leaves poking through the soil. However, my illusion was quickly dispelled when my husband said it was weeds. He encouraged me to pull them out quickly so they wouldn’t choke out the plants I was trying to grow.

Jesus also spoke about the need to act decisively on things that can hinder our spiritual growth. He explained part of His parable as follows. When the sower sowed the seed, some of the seeds “fell into the weeds… and [he] choked them” (Matt. 13:7). This is exactly what weeds do to plants – they stop their growth (v. 22). Worry, no doubt, also stunts our spiritual growth. Reading the Scriptures and praying are great ways to grow in faith, but I have learned that I need to beware of the weeds of anxiety because they will “choke out” the good word planted in me, forcing me to focus on what could go wrong.

The fruit of the Spirit spoken of in Scripture includes love, joy, and peace (Gal. 5:22). However, in order to bear this fruit, we need to, with God’s help, pull out the weeds of anxiety and doubt that can distract us and force us to focus on something other than God.

How does God help you grow the seed He has planted in you? How to pull out the weeds of anxiety?

Dear Heavenly Father, please remind me more often of the need to pull out the weeds of anxiety and delusional thoughts so that I can grow in You and bear fruit.

Author: Katara Patton