Weeding the Heart Garden: Rooting out Negative Thoughts with God's Love

 

As spring approaches, I have started working in my garden, raking the leaves that have piled up over the winter and pulling weeds. Sometimes, I miss a root or two, and sometimes those pesky squirrels have buried a nut or two that, if left unattended, could sprout into a tree.  

While I was working, I was reminded that I also need to address the "weeds" in my heart garden. These weeds can represent negative thoughts, such as:

• You aren't good enough.
• You aren't pretty enough.
• You aren't ______________ (fill in the blank).

      Those negative thoughts that you have said about yourself or that others have said about you. I know my flower beds well and can tell the difference between flowers and weeds. First, we must discern the difference between the two, and to do that, we need to understand who we are in Christ.

1. We are redeemed. In Him, we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace (Ephesians 1:7, NIV).
2. We are joint heirs with Christ. Since we are His children, we are His heirs. In fact, together with Christ, we are heirs of God's glory (Romans 8:17, NLT).
3. I am beautiful and flawless. "You are altogether beautiful, my darling; there is no flaw in you" (Song of Solomon 4:7, NIV).
4. I am loved unconditionally. "Neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord" (Romans 8:39, NIV).

When you find these negative thoughts taking root, grab hold of them by the roots and yank them out. Speak God's glorious truths over your heart garden. With each word you speak, you're watering the beauty within you, allowing it to flourish.