Kudzu

What causes quarrels and what causes fights among you? Is it not this, that your passions are at war within you? You desire and do not have, so you murder. You covet and cannot obtain, so you fight and quarrel. You do not have, because you do not ask. You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions. You adulterous people! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. Or do you suppose it is to no purpose that the Scripture says, “He yearns jealously over the spirit that he has made to dwell in us”? But he gives more grace. Therefore it says, “God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.” Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Be wretched and mourn and weep. Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you. (James 4:1-10 ESV). I have marveled at the growth of a certain vine along the roadsides I have traveled in the South. It is called “Kudzu.” I’m sure you have seen it also as it has spread throughout the highways of the Southern States. Kudzu was originally imported from Japan in 1876 to landscape a garden at the Japanese Pavilion at the Philadelphia Centennial Exposition. In the early 1900's, this vine was discovered to be excellent forage for cows, pigs, and goats in the South in acidic soils and during seasons of drought. It was also promoted as cover for erosion control in gullies. The distribution of kudzu in the United States today extends from Connecticut to Missouri and Oklahoma, south to Texas and Florida. Before 1970, kudzu was planted along Missouri highways to control erosion and some farmers experimented with kudzu for livestock fodder. This vine grows up to one foot per day in early summer and can cover everything in its path. In the South, it has become destructive to the point of pulling down power poles, breaking power lines, collapsing buildings and killing trees. It is very difficult to kill. In fact, Dr. James H. Miller says of the vine: “It can not be over emphasized that total eradication of kudzu is necessary to prevent re-growth. As with most aggressive exotic species, eradication requires persistence in monitoring and thoroughness in treating patches during a multi-year program. Revegetation of sites following treatment is an important last step to ensure that any residual kudzu does not reestablish.” Sin is like that in our lives. We don’t start out in our lives to cover ourselves in disobedience. No one I have ever known desires to fail in their spiritual lives. However, one little thing leads to another, and soon our entire spirits are crushed and hidden under the burden of guilt and sin. There is only one way to get rid of it. Treat it like Kudzu! Totally eradicate it from your life. And, continue to monitor your life to pull out any sprouts that might begin to appear. “Resist the devil and he will flee from you!” Do you have any “Kudzu” that needs rooting out today? Turn to the Lord now.