Crabgrass in Life

 When I retired, I took on gardening as part of my household chores—a task I didn’t exactly volunteer for, but one that’s become a surprising joy. I now love being outdoors, trimming the bushes, mowing and edging the lawn, and admiring the results when everything looks neat and vibrant. What I didn’t expect, however, was how much that backyard—especially the grass—would teach me about my walk with Christ.


Our backyard lawn was in rough shape when I inherited it. Years of neglect had allowed all sorts of weeds to take root—clover, stickers, and especially crabgrass. At first glance, it looked green, but up close, I realized much of what was growing wasn’t the original grass at all. I set out to restore it, using weed and feed, watering more intentionally, and even getting down on my hands and knees to pull out the invasive growth by hand.


But here’s the thing about crabgrass—it’s sneaky. It sends out long shoots, far from the central plant, invading fresh ground before you even realize it. It looks green from a distance, sometimes even attractive. But it’s not real grass. It’s rough. It crowds out what’s healthy. And it steals the nourishment that the real lawn needs to thrive.


One morning, as I was digging up a particularly stubborn patch of crabgrass, God spoke to my heart.


“This is how I work in your life, too.”


You see, our lives—especially when we first come to Christ—are like that yard. On the surface, things may look okay. We might even feel proud of our appearance or behavior. But a closer look reveals weeds—false beliefs, bad habits, selfish pride, or hidden sins—that don’t belong.


The Holy Spirit, our faithful Gardener, doesn’t yank everything out at once. If He did, we’d be overwhelmed. Instead, He gently begins to work in us. At first, He addresses the obvious things—maybe the clover that’s easy to pull. We feel better. Things look better. But then, as we grow, He goes deeper. He begins to target the crabgrass—the deeply rooted, invasive patterns that have been hiding beneath the surface. These are the sins that look “close enough” to the truth. Things we’ve allowed to stay because they didn’t seem that harmful. But they’re crowding out what’s real.


Sometimes these are secret sins—bitterness, envy, unforgiveness, addiction, pride, or impurity. Sometimes they’re things that have taken root so long ago that we’ve forgotten they were never meant to be there. But God knows. And because He loves us, He refuses to leave them untouched.


When He starts pulling, it can feel painful. Exposing. Even disorienting. Just like my lawn, there may be bald patches left behind—areas where something once lived but now needs time to heal and regrow. But here’s the promise:


If we let Him pull it out, He will fill that space with something better.


His Spirit will plant what’s true, healthy, lasting. And the fruit of that? A life that reflects Christ more and more. A heart that’s soft, pure, and filled with peace. A testimony that others will see and admire—not because it looks good from a distance, but because it’s real.


Jesus said in John 8:32 (NLT), “And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” That freedom sometimes comes through the pain of letting go. But the truth—that He is enough, that His ways are better, that we are loved and being made holy—is always worth the pull.


So, friend, if God is putting His finger on something in your life right now—something to release, confess, or surrender—don’t resist Him. Don’t fear the bald spot. Trust that the Gardener sees the full picture, and He is faithful to finish what He starts. Let Him pull the crabgrass. He knows how to grow the good stuff.


Prayer:

Lord, help me to trust You with the parts of my life that need pulling. Even when it feels painful or exposes weakness, remind me that You are making me new. Fill every empty place with Your truth, Your Spirit, and Your grace. I surrender the weeds, the hidden sins, and the things I’ve tried to hide. Make me more like Jesus. Amen.


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