Chopping Back the Vines

This past week I decided to do a little outside cleanup at our new home.  That meant cutting back overgrown branches and raking out leaves and debris that had collected.  As I did so, I began to realize that wrapped around many of the trees were vines that had begun to choke the life out of some of them—and had actually killed a few.  Thus in order to salvage that which was still alive, I spent most of my time chopping back the vines as close to the root as possible. 

This was not the first time I’ve had to deal with vines such as these.  Growing up, there were vines that would grow around our lilac trees, blending in so well it was difficult to distinguish the leaves.  A number of years ago I had to deal with vines that would grow around our forsythia bushes.  Our neighbor at the time called them, “bad boys!”  In each case, the vines twisted themselves around our trees and shrubbery, blending in, and choking the life out of the tree or bush it had attacked.  The only solution was radical surgery—chopping the vine at its root in order to destroy that which had grown around the tree or bush. 

Many of you already know where I am going. But, it’s true: those vines are very much like sin as it slowly creeps into our lives, often blending in so well that we can’t even distinguish that it is there—at least not until it has already begun to choke the life out of us.  The only solution is radical surgery. The only solution is to cut it out of our lives, chopping it at its very root. 

Jesus said, “If your right eye causes you to stumble, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell.  And if your right hand causes you to stumble, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to go into hell.”  (Matthew 5:29-30 – NIV)  Jesus encourages us to get rid of anything and everything within our lives that would lead us into sin and thus choke the spiritual life out of us. 

Let me ask you, what may need to be cut out of your life today? What is it that may be choking the spiritual life out of you; separating you from God; keeping you from living the kind of life you know God wants you to live?  Maybe it’s time to chop back some vines.   

“…let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles.”  (Hebrews 12:1 – NIV) 

Have a great day!

Pastor Tim Harris