Sitting outside, looking at this holly bush root I just dug up, I got to thinking.
Last year I decided to clear out the planter area in front of the house, so I cut back all the bushes, pulled up the vines and most of the grass and weeds. This holly bush was very stubborn and I was very tired, so I cut off all the branches and cut the trunk close to the ground. The idea was to let it sit for a few months and begin to rot so that it would respond better to my grubbing hoe and shovel.
I was unpleasantly surprised to see several green branches growing out of the stump this spring. So, today, I tackled the job again with fresh energy and managed to finally get it out of the ground. I discovered part of the reason it had been so difficult to remove. Some of the roots were very long and reached out horizontally for some distance, while other roots seemed to grow in a descending spiral, like a corkscrew, embedding it firmly in place.
Then it struck me: how very much like some sins this is! While some sins are like shallow-rooted weeds that can easily be removed from our lives by making some simple changes or strengthening our resolve to not do them any longer, others are like this holly bush with deep or complex root systems that have a strong grip on our hearts and persist, even when we think we have them conquered.
I know this. I live this. I suspect that you know it, too, if you have ever thought seriously about it. It's a part of the "human condition" that makes us drawn to sinful deeds, thoughts and attitudes, even while we are aiming for better, nobler lives. The best among us still have flaws. The most saintly still have struggles. Just because we have put our trust in Jesus or devoted our lives to serve the Kingdom does not make us immune to such enticements.
What can be done? The struggle is real. The Apostle Paul saw this in his own life and concluded that deliverance was to be found only in Jesus. He also understood that radical transformation on a spiritual level is called for. This is, most certainly, the work of God in us, but it also demands that we whole-heartedly cooperate with Him in that work. Repentance, confession, refocusing our priorities, changing our environments, reevaluating our friendships, and many other things might be necessary in order to see and enjoy the victory God has promised.
Let us not despair. God knows those who are His and He helps us, loves us and forgives us. While our failings are certainly things to be seriously concerned about, by the grace of God they do not have to be our undoing.
I know that I did not remove all of the roots of the holly bush from the ground. My efforts may have been sufficient to cause them to wither and die, but it could also be that someday those roots will revive and produce another holly bush. If it does, I won't just give up the fight and let it grow. No, I have seen enough to convince me that it can be defeated, even if I have to call a professional.
Just so, never give up in your fight against sin. Never become weary of doing good. The victory is ours if we will just stay engaged in the battle.
