Planting Seeds

This has been a very busy week for me. Actually, I’ve been busy all summer. As a hobby, I work on computers, I even occasionally make a few dollars doing it....but what I was thinking is that most of the repairs I do come as a result of the owner not doing the simple, yet necessary tasks that help keep their computers free from viruses, malware and spyware. So what’s the point? I got to thinking that’s how we let sin into our lives. We let our guard down, neglect the spiritual disciplines that keep us in a close relationship with our God, and before we know it, we have a major sin issue we have to deal with. We allow sin to slowly creep into our lives because we neglect time in His Word and heart to heart relationship with Him. We grieve the Holy Spirit and quench His work in us. In Hebrews 12:5 we are told “See to it that no one misses the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many.” That word translated here as bitter root is more commonly translated bitterness. The Greek transliteration of the word is pikria and it’s pronounced pik-ree'-ah. (I’m not sure if this qualifies for onomatopoeia, but the Greek word really gives me a sense of prickly, bitter.) I really like the word picture of a root for bitterness because that is one of those sins that often starts out very small (at least in our minds, certainly no sin is small or insignificant in God’s eyes), just a little tiny seed of bitterness is planted. Then before long we’ve watered it and fertilized it to the point that it really begins to send down deep roots and sprout out. Before long the bitter root has gotten so large that it starts to choke out everything around it in its fight to get all the water and nutrients for itself. It slowly wraps its roots around our heart and we are held captive by its grip. It eventually affects all we do and every relationship we have. If only we had done the preventive work beforehand and not allowed that to begin to take root in us.

Ephesians 4:31 tells us to get rid of all bitterness (same word), because many times bitterness that is watered and fertilized leads to rage, anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. But the next verse has the perfect prescription for what we should plant in its place. Ephesians 4:32 says “Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.” If we are obedient to this command, that tiny seed of bitterness will never be planted and instead we will have a garden of kindness and compassion growing in its place.