If you’ve ever tried to weed an overgrown garden, you know how challenging it can be to fully remove those unwanted, prolific plants from your once blooming oasis. In order to eradicate weeds, you must dig deep—depending on the size and species of said weed—in order to reach the root. Removing the root, not just the topical weed, is essential if you want permanent elimination.

As my family and I prepared for my wedding this summer on our farm, we spent a lot of time cleaning up the abundant weeds around the property. One day, my fiancé and I were working in a garden overgrown with thick and dense thorn bushes. As we cut, hacked, and dug out the weeds I was struck and, to be quite honest, overwhelmed by the significance of this seemly trivial chore.

The vivid imagery of healthy plants being entangled and choked out by thorn bushes, reminded me of sin. Sin, left unattended, will subtly and quickly creep into your life—especially if you are not regularly spending time with the Lord in prayer or reading His Word. Similar to how weeds spring up and choke out healthy plants nearby, sin will quickly, and without our notice, begin to hinder our ability to experience God in abundance, or even feel His presence. Just as it is vital to remove the root in order to ensure that the weed will not just grow back, it is essential to bring light to the source of our sin and allow the Holy Spirit to sanctify our hearts, removing sin’s roots.

Hebrews 12:1–2 says, “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith” (NIV). It is when we take our eyes off the cross, and what Christ accomplished on our behalf, that we fall prey to sin’s snare. We become entangled in the weeds of life and lose sight of the grace freely offered to us by our Saviour.

So, the next time you are stuck with the task of weeding your garden, think about that!