T. D. Jakes (Let It Go) has vivid childhood memories of his grand mother talking to each flower in her garden and diligently removing any weed that dared to show up. Observing this annual ritual taught Bishop Jakes a valuable lesson- expert gardeners do not tolerate weeds.
We must tend our hearts in the same way and make certain that we quite literally get to the root of the problem. Often we may think that we have dealt with our immediate response to our ministry downsizing or position loss, only to discover that we’ve plucked the dandelion while the main root remains deeply entrenched in our hearts.
Anger certainly is one of those emotional roots. Bishop Jakes astutely observes: “Holding onto anger does not restore what we have lost or compensate us for our injury. Many people feel that anger is all they have left . . . . Anger held is not love replaced (italics mine). . . . Just because a flower has bloomed and withered away does not mean you must plant a weed to have something in its place.”
Has a ‘weed’ replaced the ministry you loved? How can you connect with the Lord to dig up that weed and in the process draw you closer to Him?
