Scripture tells us that the Word of God is a seed that, when planted in our hearts, flourishes into the harvest of blessing God has prepared for us. But if we are going to experience all that God has for us, we have to tend to our spiritual garden and pull out the weeds just like we would in a natural garden. What are those weeds? Offense, bitterness and unforgiveness sown by the enemy. And just like earthly weeds grow extremely fast, if we leave these spiritual weeds alone, they will soon overrun and choke the good seeds that we want to grow in our lives. (See Matthew 13:25)

I remember one time early in our marriage, Joel and I were having a disagreement. There was no way that we were going to see eye to eye. My feelings were hurt, and I was highly frustrated. But Joel, on the other hand, didn’t see our disagreement as a big deal and had grown tired of talking about it. So to appease me and end the discussion, he half-heartedly said, “I’m sorry.” That was good enough for him, and he went about his business. But as I walked into the other room and closed the door, I turned around and stuck out my tongue at him. It seemed innocent enough, but even in my frustration, I knew it was disrespectful. After a few minutes of contemplation, I realized that I couldn’t let that disrespect take root in my heart, and I had to deal with it quickly. So I walked back into the kitchen to Joel and told him that I loved him and respected him…even though he was wrong. Joel simply smiled and said, “I knew you would come around.”

Remember, if you start showing disrespect in your relationships even in small ways, just like a weed, it will soon manifest itself in larger displays of disrespect. When you allow offenses to linger and grow, before long, they will become big issues that strain and weaken your relationships. I recognized that the gesture of sticking out my tongue—as innocent as it may have seemed—was planting seeds of resentment in my own heart, and I didn’t want to reap that kind of harvest in our future. Now, I’m careful to forgive and not allow weeds to linger in my heart.

Today, if you notice weeds of bitterness, offense or unforgiveness lingering in your heart, choose to uproot them by choosing to forgive! Your future is too important, and your relationships are too important. Don’t allow the enemy to deceive you into thinking that those destructive mindsets are justifiable. Choose God’s way. Uproot those weeds and allow His Word to flourish in your heart!