When You Stop Cutting It Back

This week, I've been cutting back kudzu.

If you've ever dealt with kudzu, you know exactly what I'm talking about. It doesn't take much for it to get out of control. Give it some sunshine, a little rain, and a few weeks of neglect, and before you know it, what was once manageable has covered everything in sight.

And I'll admit it—I let mine go for almost two months.

What started as a small patch quickly became a tangled mess of vines covering things that weren't supposed to be covered. So now I'm spending a lot more time cutting it back than I would have if I'd simply stayed on top of it.

As I worked, I couldn't help but think about how much our spiritual lives can be like that.

There are things we know we need to deal with, but sometimes we put them off. A little bitterness. A little pride. A habit we know isn't pleasing to God. A relationship that needs to be made right. A prayer life that has become neglected.

None of it seems overwhelming at first.

So we tell ourselves, I'll deal with it later.

But "later" has a way of becoming weeks, months, and sometimes years.

And just like kudzu, what we neglect doesn't usually stay where we left it. It spreads. It begins covering things it was never meant to cover. Eventually, it can become difficult to even see what was underneath it.

Hebrews 12:1 tells us to "lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us."

Notice that Scripture doesn't tell us to wait until the overgrowth becomes impossible to remove. It tells us to lay it aside.

Sometimes following Christ means taking a step back and asking, What have I allowed to grow in my life that needs to be cut back?

Maybe it's time to clear some things away.

The good news is that God doesn't expect us to do it alone. We have His Word to guide us, His Spirit to convict us, and His grace when we realize how badly things have gotten.

So don't be discouraged if you look around and find a little spiritual "kudzu" growing in your life.

Just start cutting.

One vine at a time.

One habit at a time.

One prayer at a time.

One step of obedience at a time.

And before long, you may be surprised at what was underneath all that overgrowth—because sometimes you don't need a new life.

You just need to clear away the things that have been covering the one God already gave you.

"Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me." — Psalm 51:10 (KJV)