A Heart Full of Weeds

Read: Colossians 3:12-17

Jacob stepped off the bus and walked toward Dad.

“How was your day?” Dad asked as they began walking home.

Jacob shrugged. “It was all right,” he said quietly.

“Something wrong?” asked Dad.

Jacob kicked at a rock on the sidewalk. He was embarrassed to talk about what had happened, but he knew he could trust Dad. “That older kid pushed me around again. He’s picked me to bully instead of the other kids.”

“What did you do?” asked Dad as they turned a corner and walked down the gravel road toward their house.

“Yelled a lot, but that didn’t do much,” answered Jacob. “I want to get back at him for embarrassing me in front of my friends.”

As they approached their driveway, Dad pointed to the field next door. “Jacob, do you see how nobody cares for that field? Weeds have taken over because nobody has done anything to prevent them from growing where the grass should grow.”

“Yeah, I never want to play over there because the weeds get in the way.”

“Well, weeds and revenge are kind of similar,” said Dad. “Wanting to get revenge on someone is a sign that bitter weeds are growing in your heart. And when you’re filled with bitterness, it keeps you from being able to forgive.”

“But I don’t want to forgive him,” Jacob said, clenching his fists. “I want him to pay for what he did!”