BY PASTOR MARK HOPPER
Pastor Mark Hopper
Many years ago, my wife suggested that we add a small mint plant to our vegetable garden. We had a beautiful bed of strawberries and never thought the mint would be a problem. But over the next few years, the mint completely took over the garden. We discovered that mint is like a weed. It grows quickly and spreads rapidly.
I actually wrote an article about this problem and asked for advice on how to get rid of the mint in my garden. One person sent me an email with a simple solution: Never plant mint in your garden in the first place!
The only way I was able to get rid of the mint was to dig up every square foot of my garden and sift every shovel of dirt through a screen. It took many weeks and many hours to completely remove every small twig and root of mint.
That was several years ago. Since then I have planted a variety of vegetables in my garden. This year we have enjoyed fresh tomatoes, bell peppers and zucchini squash. But, a few days ago I saw something that I never expected to see again. Several small twigs of mint appeared in my garden. I had not seen any mint for years. How could this be?
It reminded me that there may be old habits and sins in our lives that we think we have conquered and defeated, but they reappear when we least expect it. I wonder if there are things from your past that might resurface and invade your peaceful life unexpectedly.
All of us are vulnerable to temptation and sin. All of us have our weaknesses. All of us can fall back into some old habits if we are not careful and prayerful.
If you see a small “twig” of mint resurfacing in your life, don’t ignore it. Ask God for help and strength to face the temptation. Ask a friend to help keep you accountable and have the freedom to speak into your life. Don’t try to handle it alone.
Pastor Mark Hopper is from the Evangelical Free Church of Diamond Bar, 3255 South Diamond Bar Ave. Sunday services are 9 a.m. and 10:45 a.m. For more information, call (909) 594-7604 or visit http://www.efreedb.org.
