During a weekend trip one time to St. Louis to be with family, it turned out to be quite windy and cold compared to what we often have here in Mississippi. That is why I was surprised when I walked into my mother-in-law's backyard and noticed some of the prettiest, little blue flowers that had survived a late spring frost.
My husband jokingly pointed out that they were weeds and not really flowers. He had seen the same kind growing near our steps at home and had sprayed them with weed killer.
“They grow everywhere," he said.
I'm not quite sure that that makes them a weed, but my mother–in–law had an interesting observation.
She said, “Even a rose can be a weed if it’s planted in the wrong spot.”
Oh, how I love her wisdom! I thought long and hard about that statement, and she is right. Some of us have a life full of weeds that we perceive as beautiful roses. We allow things to take root and grow in our lives in places where they don’t belong.
Relationships, activities, hobbies, interests, and work, are all seemingly beautiful things that we believe make our life wonderful. But, because they take precedence and place before God, His relationship with us, and our commitment to Him, they become weeds that will eventually destroy what we so dearly love.
These weeds perceived as roses are always nurtured and cared for with the guise that they will benefit us in return, but underneath, these roses give pure poison. They have been “planted in places where they don’t belong.”
The Apostle Paul wrote in his letter to the Ephesians, to “… give no opportunity to the devil.” (Ephesians 4:27)
It is often hard to discern what is a weed and what is a rose. Why? Because "the devil doesn't always bring you roses."
Sometimes he brings the addiction that began as a small habit or the extramarital affair that was just a friend. The devil will bring every form of temptation under the guise of our deepest desires sometimes. So, we need to be extremely careful as Christians about the things that we allow into our lives.
Discernment for the Christian is of the utmost importance. If it hasn't been prayed for and prayed over, if it isn't in line with the word of God, we need to close the door and walk away. We have to be very cautious of placing those things in positions and places that are meant for God.
Perhaps this is why the Lord gave the rose those sharp thorns so that it can remind us that even something beautiful can cause hurt if it’s not handled in the right way. Maybe it's time in your life to inspect your roses and make sure they are not weeds...
