I just came inside from doing 3 hours of yard work in my pajamas. Sweaty, buggy, covered in dirt and leaves, even in my hair. My husband looked at me and wisely said nothing but “Wow, you have been working!”

The weeds taunted me as I let the dogs out for their morning constitutional. I thought: just 5 quick minutes in the garden. Once there, I saw that the weeds were winning the war against the summer heat, not just in the garden, but all over the yard. Then veggies needed harvesting, trees needed pruning, vines needed clearing…

My jammies are the shirt and short type, so I wasn’t too bothered by what the neighbors thought about that. The rest of my outfit took their mind right off the fact I was in my sleepwear: hair held up by a zip tie from my garden kit, galoshes on my feet for my “quick trip” to the garden, garden gloves grabbed from my porch, sweat that made me look like I had been swimming, and my dogs crying to get IN the house.

But the WEEDS!!! Admittedly, I have neglected the yard for a week or two. Or is it three? But y’all, I’ve been busy! As I was fighting the swarm of mosquitoes trying their best to take more blood from me than the blood-mobile, and perhaps thinking some unholy thoughts about the monster weeds refusing to give way to my brute strength, it hit me! I brought this battle on myself!

If I had spent 15 minutes every day doing a quick swing around the yard, the weeds would be much more under control and my effort would be “grooming” versus “major overhaul”. Quick and purposed discipline would have saved me this unplanned intrusion of time and effort to manage what had gotten out of control. The Lord impressed my spirit to take a lesson from this adventure.

If I am disciplined in my time with the Lord and the things that keep me spiritually fit, the weeds of the world won’t take over. Once the weed is in, it grows. I may find myself mindlessly scrolling through Instagram for an hour before I realize the time has passed. I may click on an ad that sends me on a shopping spree spending money that I ought not spend. I may see a news report that generates anxiety over something I have no control over, which may drive me for another empty hour fueling that fire. I may be drawn to a show or a sporting event that I jump to catch up on or watch. I may engage in a game system or app with no redemptive value in light of here or eternity…

After all this exhaustive chasing of nothing, I am behind on my priorities, over budget, anxious, judgy of the people and ideas I have come across, critical of athletes whose performance truly doesn’t change my life, and bankrupt of time I’ve invested yet will never recover.

Giving the daily first fruits of my time to God reminds me He has more for me than to chase cultural trappings. Exerting discipline in those first moments of my day aligns my mind with His calling.

Titus 3:3-8 (condensed) says “At one time we were foolish, deceived and enslaved by all kinds of passions and pleasures…But when the kindness of God our Savior appeared, He saved us…because of His mercy.” He washed and renewed us by the Holy Spirit, through Jesus, “so we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life. So those who have trusted in God, be careful to devote [yourselves] to doing what is good. These things are excellent and profitable for everyone.”

A little time each day keeps the weeds at bay!
 
*Please read Titus 3:3-8. I have tried to keep the integrity of the verses intact while condensing them at the same time. They are rich in weed-b-gone! 😉