Oct 3rd, 2020: Time to Plant and Time to Pluck Up

 Pulling Weeds Images, Stock Photos & Vectors | Shutterstock


As I mentioned at the end of yesterday's blog, we will continue with the same passage today.

"For everything, there is a season and a time for every matter under heaven: a time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted; a time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up; a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance; a time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing." (Ecclesiastes 3: 1-15)

What does it mean to pluck up what is planted? The image I have in my mind is weeds in my garden. We watered and fertilize them the same way we did with our grass so we have to weed them out once in a while. We have planted many unwanted desires in our life. Sometimes they outgrow our godly desires. These unwanted spiritual weeds have been the source of our spiritual blind spots. Our understanding of God is clouded. Our view of people becomes unkind and judgmental.

Then it is time to eliminate whatever has come between us and God. It is not easy because these unwanted plants have their own attractions and pull. We find ourselves looking for justification just to keep them. Compromise now guides our principles. Our zeal for godliness now is being replaced by our longing for acceptance, acknowledgment, and power. 

We pray for healing when we become aware of our calamity. We need to have the courage to name what is evil in our hearts and mind so that we can enter confession with some clarity. Putting our finger on what is not right and healthy is the beginning of our healing process. We don't ask God to make us better so that we can feel good about ourselves. Healing comes with responsibility. We ask God to restore us so that we can engage in His service wholeheartedly. Growing in our desire to love others is part of the restoration.

Let us continue tomorrow...

Popular posts from this blog

Sept 4th, 2024: Praying in Images

Image
It has been a rough few days. Living in immense pain does not allow us much energy to think about anything. I ended up praying in images, and not many words came out of my mouth. Most of the images were of people I know. God knew that I was praying for them as their faces came to my mind. I did not need to mention the circumstances or situations of their lives—He knows. My heart was at peace as I ended my days with these images. He will take care of my body, and I know this because I was able to get some sleep. Tomorrow is in His hands.
Read more

Aug 31st, 2024: Confession

Image
Dealing with pain sometimes affects our ability and flexibility. A physiotherapist friend gave me a set of home exercises to help with that. They are simple yet intense at the same time. Dealing with our human brokenness sometimes affects our ability to see and hear God. Our commitment to spiritual disciplines must be at the core of our relationship with God. One of the disciplines I have been trying to embrace more fully is confession. It’s not just about recognizing where we have gone wrong; it’s about how we have chosen to live our lives independently from God. It’s about whether we truly want God to be part of our lives. The absence of meaningful confession will damage our freedom to experience intimacy with God. "Whoever conceals his transgressions will not prosper, but he who confesses and forsakes them will obtain mercy." - Proverbs 28:13
Read more

May 18th, 2020: Why Forgiveness?

Image
  A young man called me last night and he was tormented by his relationship with his mother. It is not because she was a horrible mom. It was unresolved grief that is caused by his dad's suicide a few years ago. Emotionally, he blames parents for his father's death although he knows intellectually that it is not right. I knew the father a bit because his mother and her family came to see me for help when they first arrived in Canada. He was a brilliant physician and who was quite loved by people of a small northern town in Alberta. He was awkward in some ways and very uncomfortable in social conversations. This young man has had many conversations with me ever since the suicide. His father's death has been a major topic of our time together. Most of our conversation yesterday was about forgiveness. We were talking about forgiving people who never ask or haven't got a chance to ask us to forgive them. The question is whether we can forgive without being asked. His father...
Read more