THISTLES AND THORNS

Finally… summer in Michigan!!!  Yes, it was long in coming, but the promise of spring held true: the brown and grey turned to green and growth.   I vocalized several months ago already how excited I was to get my garden planted, even though my garden boxes were still under 3’ of snow.   Once a gardener always a gardener I guess!!

Sooner that it seemed, my fingers were digging into the soil, carefully spacing those tiny seeds in the trough I’d dug, and lovingly covering them up with expectation of growth.  I’ve been known to be impatient and dig one up now and then to see how close they are to popping through the soil as actual plants.  The little roots are so fragile and small, they are easily dug up and tossed to the side.  It has always amazed me how by the end of the summer, those same tender little roots have grown deep and strong.  I’ve had plants that needed to be yanked so hard it about put me on my rear when they finally let loose of the soil!! 

By this time, you probably think this post is heading in the direction of a well known and beautiful parable about the sower and the seed.  This parable is about the importance of seed (Word of God) landing on fertile soil (our hearts) so that their roots can grow down deep and the plants can stand firm and secure against the storms  (enemy).  While that is one of my favorites and truly one of the foundational parables of the Christian life, the thoughts I’m having on roots are stemming from a different source.  Quite different actually.  Different, in that the aforementioned roots produce a positive result:  a mature, beautiful plant yielding much fruit or beautiful flowers.   The roots I’m going to talk of, however, grow deep also…but they produce destruction, ugliness, bondage… even death.

Scripture warns us clearly of this root.  Ephesians 4:31-32 tells us to “let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice.  Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, AS GOD IN CHRIST FORGAVE YOU”.    Hebrews 12:15 also warns to “See to it that no one fails to obtain the grace of God; that no root of bitterness springs up and causes trouble, and by it many become defiled…”.    In Matthew 6:14, Jesus even follows up His infamous Lord’s Prayer with “If you forgive those who sin against you, your heavenly Father will forgive you.  But if you refuse to forgive others, your Father will not forgive your sins”. 

Hold it. 

HHHmmmmm. 

Wow. 

That’s powerful stuff. 

There’s a lot of “if’/then’s” in that scripture that I’m not sure have been included in too many of the sermons I’ve heard over my lifetime.   I feel like most of what I’ve heard has been based on being sure to ASK for forgiveness of MY OWN sins… along with the suggestion we follow suit. Not so sure I read the fine print (actually not so “fine”… it’s boldly stated in the next verse) that receiving forgiveness is going to require something of me in exchange.  

Before we get into a debate that I’m not knowledgeable enough (nor brave enough) to enter… let’s head back to my garden.

If bitterness is a root, and roots do indeed grow deeper and stronger over time, then I think it’s fair to say that bitterness does as well.  Bitterness… from unforgiveness.  Things happen in life.  People hurt people.  Sometimes out of malicious intent.  Sometimes out of hardened hearts.  And sometimes out of their own woundedness.  Whatever form the wound comes in, it’s there… and it hurts.  And so the seed is planted. 

Not many of us have our own personal gardener….  Or do we in this case?? I believe so.  He comes quietly, seemingly unnoticed, often times undercover, and tends those seeds of bitterness for us.   He waters and fertilizes those thoughts and feelings… with justification, hurt, anger, pride, and replay and replay and replay.   He’s pleased as punch to see the ugly plant growing swiftly, sucking the nutrients out of the soil for itself, growing at such a pace that it blocks the sun from the other “good” plants.   Soon the good plants wither… and the secret gardener walks away patting himself on the back, ever so pleased that he once again managed to kill and destroy what was intended to be a beautiful garden. 

Friends,

I GET the hurt. 

I GET the pain.

I GET the feelings of justification.

I GET the fear of letting it go.

What I DON’T get is the vision I had the other night. 

The vision of my Savior… MY JESUS… hanging on the cross… beaten to within an breathe of his life, betrayed, spit upon, laughed at.  Hanging there, virtually naked, by spikes that were driven through his wrists and feet… blood running down His face from the thorns of the crown that MY KING was wearing.     

What I don’t get is how I could EVER stand at the foot of that cross the moment before He died and say to Him “BUT you don’t understand how horrible they were”… “BUT you don’t understand how much that hurt me”… “BUT you don’t understand how I feel…”…. “but”…. “but”…. “but”….

BUT HE DID. 

And He’s asking… no, let’s be real:  He’s COMMANDING us to do the same.  With the same heart.  A soft heart responsive to the life He led and the death He died.   A heart for loving others as He did, whether they deserved it… or not.

I challenge you to examine your heart.  Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal ANY and ALL unforgiveness in you.  And then try standing in my vision and see if you can do it.  Can you really look up at your Savior and tell Him all the reasons they don’t deserve forgiveness… and why you deserve to hang on to bitterness??  If you hear Him utter a pain-filled, but loving “do it”, can you seriously look into His eyes and shake your head “No… I won’t”??   If you can’t, then do what He did.  Give those people in your life what they DON’T deserve anymore than you did:  forgiveness.

As I planted my garden a month or so ago, I looked those seeds in my hand with new eyes.   Spiritual eyes.   I’ve committed to tend my garden carefully, allowing no bitter roots to grow… and instead enjoy the bountiful fruit thereof.

I pray the same for you.

If you’re still hanging on to  unforgiveness and just can’t let go, please drop me an email.  I'd be happy to forward some great info on what forgiveness IS and equally as important, what forgiveness is NOT.