Don’t Let Your Weeds Overtake Your Soul

As we approach the final Sunday of Great Lent when the Church commemorates the repentance of Saint Mary of Egypt, it is a good opportunity to talk about what happens when we allow sin to get out of control in our lives. Left unchecked, sin can overtake our soul to the point where we may not even recognize ourselves.

The other day, I decided it was time to give my yard some attention. It was my first spring yard work day. As I had been watching grass slowly overgrow some shrubs, I realized that if I didn’t pull those weeds, I would eventually lose the entire bed. Four hours and several water breaks later, I had finally accomplished my task. Confident, I enjoyed the fruit of my efforts the remainder of the night. Until the next morning. I woke up sore, nearly regretting working in the yard. I have spent the past few days, still a bit sore, reminding myself, “If only I had been pulling the weeds when they first appeared, it would have been a much easier job.”

The same can be said about sin. Left unchecked, sin can overtake our lives. Left unchecked and growing wild, it becomes harder and harder to remove sin from our lives. If we pluck it out at the first sign, sin is much easier to remove from our live.

Consider the remainder of Great Lent as your opportunity to pull some weeds in your life. Get caught up now, so you can enjoy the fruit of your efforts on Pascha. Don’t wait until you can’t recognize your life because sin has gotten out of control. It just gets more difficult the longer you wait. Sore muscles are one thing but avoiding a sore soul for eternity is worth the effort now.