It is the natural state of gardens to have weeds.

It is the natural state of a garden to have weeds. I can spend my morning out in my garden working my way through the false-strawberry, the crab grass and the dandelions, the oxalis and all the rest. I can collect my piles and carry them to the compost bin. I can look around and be pleased at a job well done. The flowers are blooming well. The colors are rich and full. Even the grass looks good (I do not do “weed ‘n’ feed” so it is always nice when the grass looks good).

I go in, I shower, I putter, I have a leisurely dinner with my wife and daughters. We come back out in the cool of the evening to enjoy the garden, chat about the day, talk about what we want to do where in the garden next year. All is pleasant.

And what do I see? The brazen gold of a dandelion! False-jasmine in the hedge! And, insult of insults, poison ivy in the Impatiens! Oh, woe is me! They have defeated me again!

Well, what of it? Gardens have weeds. There is nothing I can do about it. Bill, get over it.

I am going to have weeds no matter how thoroughly I weed, dig, mulch, or, even, gasp, spray. Am I going to focus on the garden? Or on the weeds? Which brings joy? Which is more pleasant?

It is the natural state of gardens to have weeds.

1 John 1:8-9. NASB 95

8 If we say that we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves and the truth is not in us.
9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

It is the natural state of fallen man to have sin. So, what am I going to do about it? “Woe is me?” “Oh, I am defeated again?” Beat myself up? Hide myself from God? Lie to myself? Blame someone else?

God already knows the sin. He has already known since before I was born, even since before the world began. He knows all my sin, from now, up to day I die and see Him face to face. He knew, and therefore He gave His Son to us. His blood, His sacrifice on the cross washes me clean of sin.

It is the natural state of a garden to have weeds. It is the natural state of fallen humanity to sin. Get over it. Take the sin to Jesus, and get over it. This is not giving permission to “have a weedy garden.” This is giving permission, if you will, to go to Jesus and get clean, and free, and to receive an overwhelming victory.

It is the natural state of a garden to have weeds. It is the natural state of fallen humanity to sin. This is not giving permission to “have a weedy garden.” I need to be pure, I need to resist temptation, I need to reject sin. I need to repent from sin.

Repenting from sin is not beating myself up (that is focusing on the sinner). Repenting from sin is not dwelling on what was done wrong (that is focusing on the sin). Repenting from sin is turning to Jesus, confessing the sin as sin, and allowing Him “to cleanse [me] from all unrighteousness.” And then keeping my eyes there, on Him.

I need to focus on Jesus, who “takes away the sins of the world.”

It is the natural state of a garden to have weeds. It is the natural state of fallen humanity to sin. And Jesus knows what to do about that.