Morning Glories - Flowers or Weeds?

I planted these lovely purple flowers three years ago. I bought the seed packet right here in town. I thought, “These will be a beautiful addition to my garden, and each morning when I come out to pick produce or weed, they will be smiling at me in all their glory.” As you can see from the photo, they were. They were beautiful, bright, brilliant purple petals with pretty pink centers growing in my garden. I enjoyed them immensely. 

Until one day I realized they had spread to every part of my garden, on every pole, and into every open space. They were crowding out my produce and even growing over the top of my other plants. They were out of control!

So I did some research….I did some reading….and the website said that Morning Glories are actually weeds, very invasive weeds. What? I had planted an invasive weed in my garden? I was shocked!

So I made a plan. I began ripping, pulling and tearing out my pretty purple Morning Glories. For 3 hours one night, I pulled, sweated, huffed, and stewed about planting these flowers/weeds. There were piles and piles of them and that wasn’t all of them. As I ripped and tore them out, I also ripped out good and healthy plants, and even some of my garden produce because the vines had tangled so tightly. 

Why do I tell you all this? As I did this work of pulling and ripping, I thought about the sin in my life. My sin can sometimes start off as a good thing, even beautiful like the Morning Glories. But then it can grow deep roots into my soul with vines that entangle my heart and mind. What can start as a thing of beauty can end up so ugly and wrong.

God had given me a very physical example right in my garden.

The website said it can take years of diligent work to eliminate these flowers/weeds because of their deep, sprawling root system. Repeated pulling and digging are needed to prevent them from setting seed.

Over the last few years, God has revealed a "Morning Glory" in my life. He created me for relationships, giving me a deep capacity to connect with all kinds of people. I love people, thrive on friendships, and see them as one of God's blessings and purposes for my life. But here is the connection to the weeds…I have often let what others think about me speak louder than what God says to me. I have become a “people pleaser”. I get entangled in what others think. I become anxious when I sense that I’m no longer in someone’s good graces or there is conflict in the relationship. It digs into my soul and chokes out the goodness and the purpose of those friendships, which is to glorify God. Just like those deep roots of the Morning Glory weed, it damages my soul.

As I pulled and pulled those Morning Glories, I felt the Lord teaching me, once again, what He has been teaching me for several years. He asked me to honor Him by valuing what He says above all others.

 “Am I now trying to win the approval of human beings, or of God? Or am I trying to please people? If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a servant of Christ.” Galatians 1:10 NIV

He has given me so many beautiful relationships, but they should never be more important than what He says to me. When I value the words of people above the word of the Lord, I get entangled in the weeds like the Morning Glories in my garden. So they must be pulled out...over and over again for as long as it takes.

I am on year two of Morning Glory removal. This year they are small. Again I must take time to pull them out. Each day I have been going out to my garden and pulling out those baby weeds before they grow, entangle, and produce more flowers and seeds.

So friends, stop a moment and take stock. Is there a weed, a sin, in your life that needs pulling, ripping, tearing, or digging out? It’s worth the time to ask the Lord if it needs removing. Like me, it may have started out beautiful, then turned ugly, wrong, and sinful. Or it may be deep already, like my Morning Glories. Ask the Lord, He will help you discern. Cry out to Him for endurance and stamina to fight the good fight. It is all to His glory.

Over these last few years, I keep asking the Lord and He has helped me fight to overcome much of my people pleasing. It is still there at times, but the Lord keeps reminding me that the battle is worth it, because it glorifies Him! He deserves to be #1 on the throne of my life! The “Morning Glories” must go!

If you need prayer about your “Morning Glory” please reach out to us at:

weekendofrenewal@gmail.com

Women of Renewal is here to pray and support you.