Last year we had some mulch put in the flowerbed on the side of our house. It helped make the bed beautiful. However, as summer progressed, I started noticing some new kind of weeds sprouting up in the bed. I put on gloves (these new weeds had some nasty thorns) and pulled them up by the roots. A few weeks later, more weeds showed up. I again pulled out those new arrivals. A few weeks later - more weeds.

I had hoped these weeds had died out over the winter. This spring we planted new flowers and put on a new layer of mulch. The weeds showed up again.

I blame last year’s mulch.

“Keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it spring the issues of life” (Prov. 4:23). Part of “keeping” or maintaining the purity of our heart is protecting it from exposure to evil. Once we have developed a taste for sin, it is difficult to get the taste out of our mouth. We can repent and strive to do right, but the taste will always be there, tempting us to return to the passing pleasures of sin (Heb. 11:25).

How much easier it would be to maintain our flower bed if we had never introduced last year’s infected mulch.

How much easier it would be to maintain the purity of our heart if we never introduced it to sin.

“But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts” (Rom. 13:14).