“A farmer went out to sow his seed. Some of it fell on the road; it was tramped down and the birds ate it. Other seed fell in the weeds; the weeds grew with it and strangled it.

The seed that fell in the weeds—well, these are the ones who hear, but then the seed is crowded out and nothing comes of it as they go about their lives worrying about tomorrow, making money, and having fun.

Luke 8:5,7,14 (MSG)

Fears and worries are weeds. They are some of the distractions Jesus was talking about in Luke 8. They will grow and spread and over-power all that is good. If they aren’t removed and destroyed, they will constantly grow snaggly thorns that will grab your ankles and trip you up. They will threaten everything that is beautiful. God wants you to love bravely, live fully, worship passionately, and trust Him fiercely. He wants to pluck you right out of the weeds of fear and insecurity, and all the lies of not-enoughness, and plant you instead in the fullness of His truth. He wants you to grow, uninhibited by the weeds that try to choke out so many of the good things He gives. He wants to feed you, to give you the living water He promises (John 7:38). He wants to provide the perfect growing conditions, a place where your faith blossoms. A place where your trust grows so tall that worries, doubts, and uncertainty can’t grow in its shadow. 

Ask God, the Gardener, to give you grace to trust Him, and to care for you in His beautiful garden where fear has no power. There you can grow to your greatest potential and bear much fruit. You are loved!  

“I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener.” John 15:1