Yesterday I did something that I don’t think I have ever done before. I willingly went into my front yard and started pulling weeds. The weather was too nice to not be outside and I knew the front yard was stressing Colby out, so as an act of love, I decided to clean the yard up a bit.

I donned my garden gloves and got to work. There were some plants sticking out of the ground that were obviously weeds. You know, big leaves and pointy stems. I pulled those first. When the obvious ones were out of the way, it got a little tough.

We don’t have the most luscious front yard, but we have a variety of plants. Some of the weeds grow so close to plants that it is difficult to tell where the plant starts and the weed begins. I would grab something green, but then second guess myself on if it was a weed or not. If this was part of the landscaping, I did not want to rip it out of the ground roots and all.

It made me think about the weeds in our lives. It can be difficult to determine what needs to be pulled out of our lives. Sometimes there are things that don’t seem harmful, but can be costly to our souls. With so much noise in our culture, it can be difficult to see where the weeds are. There are opinions and “experts” on everything which makes it hard to discern the truth sometimes.

Everyone wants the truth. Most people want all the answers. And, it seems like, with the internet at our fingertips, we pretty much have access to all the answers. But when there is a gray area or something without a clear cut answer, we just leave it alone.

In the current state of our culture, I think that is why there are people abandoning their faith. Because they couldn’t find a clear cut answer. There was some mystery or confusion with scripture. They could not figure out which was the weed to pull out, or maybe they didn’t like the weed that needed to be pulled.

God is not afraid of questions or doubt. He is a mysterious God, and He knows it. The Bible is the absolute truth, and helps us discern those mysteries a little better. Instead of turning away when we face confusion about our faith, it is better to dig in and learn more. Trust that God will give you the answers.

“All Scripture is inspired by God and is profitable for teaching, for rebuking, for correcting, for training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.”- 2 Timothy 3:16-17 (CSB)

The Bible was created to help us with discernment. Every word has meaning and a purpose for being included. This book is the place to turn when there is confusion or doubt. Just like in the garden, there are going to be things that trip you up. Patterns of thinking, specific beliefs, or a confusing situation all can stare at you like plants that may or may not need to be pulled from the ground. That is where Scripture comes in to be your guide.