Christianity Oasis Forum

[Tracy L]

I'm continuing to do the steps until I feel necessary. I had a question about step 5 (I think it was).
The weeds we need to hoe out of the garden. Which ones do we start with since I have soooo many? I have some bad habits...smoking, emotional eating, and more.

Tracy

[mlg]

Tracy, you have a question which weeds to start with. I don't think it really matters too much which one, but that you just begin. As long as you delay pulling the weeds, then your healing will not truly be there. So pick one weed you really want to get rid of badly, and get to pulling. Come on sis you can do it, and Jesus is gonna help you.

Praying for you.

luv ya

[---]

Tracy,

I love your question. I think it highlights a common (at least for me) "trap" we all fall into on our journey with the Lord.

Our entire experience here on earth is about glorifying our ever-loving Father. And we can't do that without knowing and loving Him. Knowing Him . . . loving Him . . . wow -- but He's GOD!! How do we actually "know" and "love" God?!??!

By entering into a relationship with Him. A true, authentic, and heart felt relationship with Him. Talk to Him, listen to Him, and ASK Him how it is we can love Him and demonstrate that love for Him. He did, after all, love us long before we were even aware of His love.

Christianity Oasis has given an incredible blessing to the world by giving us the program to help us identify and eliminate barriers to our relationship with God in our lives -- our "weeds". Perhaps they are behaviors, perhaps they are other "idols," perhaps they are emotions and thoughts. In any event, they separate us from God.

But even if we yanked each and every weed, Tracy, that doesn't mean we're in a genuine relationship with God. Our journey is not about eliminating all "bad" parts of our life; it is about growing in that relationship with our ever-loving Father. That starts NOW, right away!! Even as weeds continue to abound, just opening our hearts and accepting our Father's love is a huge leap forward!

It is in the spirit of that relationship, and in full reliance on Him, that we yank weed after weed, whichever one in that moment is between us and God. It really doesn't matter which one it is. None is more important than another because all, ultimately, are lies -- lies that say something is more important in any given moment than walking with and growing with God.

Don't get so impressed or intimidated by any single weed that you are blinded to the beauty and permanence of your garden . . . the one the Lord planted and maintains always!

Bless you, Tracy.