Digging At The Root....

We have two Crape Myrtles in our yard. Wait, correct that - we have one now, and we have some root fragments, and a large hole in the ground. Recently, my lovely wife persuaded me to "see about the one closest to the house." So upon seeing about it, I realized this was not going to be an easy job. 
Crape Myrtles are known for having large, rather epic root balls even if the trunks are not so thick above ground. This particular Myrtle had been planted more for the fast growth than with the future of landscaping in mind. It presided between the sidewalk and the house. It was not a big tree, but I had to trim back the branches a minimum of twice a year because they hung out over the sidewalk and brushed against the house. Myrtles are also a Japanese Beetle nursery and restaurant - and every year we hosted tons of the Asiatic creepers.

So - if you are keeping up: fast growth, beetle breeder, poor location, and nasty rumors of uprooting = JMW not looking foward to"seeing about Myrtle."

I have added fuel to the slanderous tales of Myrtles being hard to dig up.

The tool - an axe. Long, heavy, and very sharp
The locomotion - me.
The Reason - Myrtle was an invasion upon normative life, annoying, a breeding ground for other things. The worst part was the potential for roots breaking the sidewalk and uprooting other plants nearby.(I pulled up one root that stretched over six feet long.)

I guess by now, you are seeing the spiritual application the Lord allowed me to see that afternoon. Getting rid of sin is not easy work, sometimes it takes years. The Root Ball of Sin is deep in the landscape of our lives and in the heart of each of us. We can never fully rid our "lifescape" of the sinful fragments in this life. God gives His Word as a sharp tool that divides soul and spirit, joint and marrow, and it lays bare the hidden attitudes of the heart, Hebrews 4:12-13. When we read the Word of God, we become aware of how deep the root is and God gives us desire to remove the root. The Spirit gives direction and fuel, but in the midst of all He provides, there is still an expectation of us; that we do some work to dig it out. Especially if something sinful is encroaching upon the abundant life Jesus expects us to live.

Lastly, sin rarely affects just the individual. Just like the invasive root tendrils of Myrtle, the tendrils of sin reach out and touch others: alcoholism, depression, obesity, selfishness and addictive habits are just some that come to mind. I have no further to look than the roots of sin in my own life to see how sinful behavior in my past has reached out and affected others around me. I wish the Youth in my ministries over the years would get this principle - it is not enough to to duck under or trim away at sin, only to see it grow back and breed other things. God has shown me that I must rely on His power in me, then give my best in the destruction of sin at the root. We should dig up the problem, confess sin and let God replant the landscape of our lives, fertilize with forgiveness and grace - and watch new life blossom. 2 Corinthians 5:17, "if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has gone, the new has come."