Imagine our surprise when we find out that our home's previous owners intentionally planted this horrible weed! I spent years pulling them one by one, only for them to come back with a vengeance a week later.

We had spent so much money on lawn treatments that left what good grass we did have patchy and fried. We were embarrassed by our home’s exterior. I wanted to stop everyone who passed our home just to tell them all we had done to rectify the issue and how far it had come. Even though it looked better, it still looked bad.

We knew there had to be a better way. And after a few seasons without much improvement we changed lawn care companies, which also came at a higher cost. My husband asked the owner of the new company to meet us at our home before we committed to their summer treatment schedule.

He gave us one piece of advice. “The only way to get rid of this infestation of weeds is to smother them with good, strong grass.”

I didn’t like the advice. I wasn’t convinced it would work and honestly I thought a home without a garden bed would look tacky. With my husband's insistence, we moved forward with aerating our yard, overseeding with the highest quality grass seed available, while giving the grass a break from weed treatment. I’m happy to report that one year later we are thistle-less!

Of course there’s a life lesson here of how good can overpower bad…how light can drown out darkness. But what has really frustrated me about this situation was that from the beginning we were doing what we thought was the right thing. My husband and I don’t know much of anything about lawn care, which is why we had hired professionals. Obviously one was better at their trade than the other. The evidence was in the results.

With so much noise in our world everyone has an opinion on the next, best, quick fix for any issue in life. We can be easily persuaded of one's authority based on nothing more than our perception of their confidence and how many followers they have on social media platforms.

We abandon the spiritual gift of discernment and instead look towards the New York Times Best Sellers List for our next paperback mentor. Even more concerning, we shy away from Truth and righteously blame our progressive compassion whenever we come across something we just don’t like.

Between church, Bible studies, worship music, podcasts, books, friends, etc, there are infinite resources and suggestions that boast knowing the secret to draw more near to the Lord. We place our faith in the hands of others who seem more wise, more holy, who seem like better Chrstians because we’re just trying to do the next right thing.

1 John 4:1 tells us, “Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into this world.”

The Christina Gregory version reads as this: Friend, do not be romanticized by pretty book covers or fancy words that make you feel warm and fuzzy inside. Be kind, but stay curious. Ask questions. Set your scriptural standards high.

Remember that when it comes to a relationship with the Father, you always come third…Him first, others second. Trust that God does not contradict Himself. Lean into anything that you don’t like, but that is confirmed in Scripture. That’s where the growth is. Feelings are fickle, but the Word of God is steadfast.

Our faith is always under the radar of the evil one who is trying to derail us on our path of eternity with the Father. But don’t let the risk prevent you from the growth…that is also the work of the evil one. Pray for discernment. Seek council from your pastoral staff and trusted friends and family who produce good, rich spiritual fruit in their lives. And have peace in the fact that only the Living God has authority over your faith.