On The Offense

This past weekend, Lawn Man (otherwise known as my husband) was on the march. On the offense against sneaky weeds just waiting to rear their ugly heads come next spring.

The lawn is Don’s baby. For the past several years, he’s ridden herd over any stray weeds (and there are plenty) that make their way onto our property. His weapon is the trusty spreader pictured above, and his magic bullet is a good supply of Scotts Brand weed and feed. Right now the exact product name eludes me, but maybe Don will chime in with details in the comments section.

The weed and feed offense takes place at our house twice a year, every fall and spring. By taking advice and following instructions, Don learned years ago how to get the upper hand against offending greenery and wildflowers (those pesky dandelions!). And let’s not forget the “feed” part of the equation as it protects and strengthens for a better spring lawn. Because of Don’s diligence — and the death blows he deals to the weeds that do sneak through — we enjoy the beauty of a healthy, uniform lawn.

The Word of God tells us about a weed fight of a different sort. Jesus spoke of a farmer who sowed seed, and some of it “‘fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants.'” (Matthew 13:7) We may not think of thorns as weeds, but they certainly do the job of weeds, choking out the growth of good plants.

Jesus went on to say, “‘The one who received the seed that fell among the thorns is the man who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke it, making it unfruitful.'” (v. 22).

Sounds like we would be wise to go on the march, on the offense, against some weeds of our own, doesn’t it? Let’s think for a moment about the worries we currently face or about the lies the world feeds us where money and the constant need for more is concerned. And don’t forget the trap of overextending ourselves financially.

These are the kinds of things that can dominate our lives, robbing us of time and getting our focus off of God, His truths, and His work in our lives. These are the kinds of things that can choke and stunt our spiritual growth.

What do you do to ride herd over these sneaky weeds? What advice or instructions do you follow to defeat them? What weapons do you use? Have diligence and death blows paid off for you? Chime in with an answer to any of these questions. Let’s go on the offense together!

**I’ll kick it off by sharing one very practical strategy we’ve followed that protects us from one kind of choking. We don’t put anything on our credit card that we can’t pay off that month.

*My photo

Comments

  1. My husband wont leave the lawn alone. Seriously it’s just grass (and a few weeds) but who cares about the weeds, really?

  2. Great message Cheryl. Thanks for sharing this with us today. I agree with you about NOT charging what you can’t pay for that month. It’s worked for us.

    Love and hugs.

  3. I need to better armor, Cheryl. To be honest with you, when the weeds come, if I’m not careful, they tend to choke the life and sparkle out of me. I think I’m armored up, but not as well as I would like. This week has been particularly defeating for me, but I keep plowing through and pressing into God believing that he’s at work on those weeds, even when I am weak.

    Another great teaching; I want to be an offensive warrior in my faith journey! Thanks for being my friend. Having you and other blog readers in my life encourages me along the path.

    peace~elaine

  4. Terrific illustration, Cheryl.

    My son-in-law rides herd on the weeds in our yard. He’s diligent, too.

    And that tip about keeping the GRASS green, healthy, and growing is another way to keep those weeds at bay.

    A tip from my personal life is that I just keep cramming the Word of God into my brain day after day. It’s like my little hall closet. If I cram it full of good things there’s no room for me to stuff bad things in there.

    If I keep my brain filled with the Word of God, no room for Satan’s devices to take root.

    Thanks,
    Jean
    http://www.jeanmatthewhall.blogspot.com

  5. Cheryl…you are quite the blogger!!!Kudos……bet Don wishes his neighbors to the North would mow their alley so them pesky dandelions won’t spread……

Leave a Comment

*