I Choose Today to Let God Uproot the Weeds

Peeling back an onion is often used as an analogy for uncovering deeper truths, layer by layer. But I believe a better picture of this process is found in the artichoke.

You see, an artichoke isn’t actually a vegetable—it’s the flower bud of a thistle, or in other words, a weed. Yes, a weed! And yet, inside this weed is something valuable. The artichoke consists of three protective layers, all designed to shield its heart.

The thorns are the first line of defense. Sharp and uninviting, they keep anything from getting too close. They serve one purpose: to protect. Then come the bracts, the thick, impenetrable leaves that offer additional protection. But here’s the thing—when you peel back a bract, a small piece of the heart comes with it. The deeper you go, the more of the heart is exposed. And finally, there’s the choke. A tangled mass of hair-like fibers, the choke is the messiest and most time-consuming barrier to remove. But once it’s gone, all that remains is the heart—tender, valuable, and no longer hidden beneath layers of self-protection.

We do the same thing in our own lives. We develop layers of self-protection, even thorns, to keep others from getting too close to our pain. When we let weeds grow—things like hurt, trauma, bitterness, resentment, anger, and unforgiveness—we build up layers that make us feel safe. On the outside, it may even appear beautiful to those looking in, just like the artichoke’s bloom. But at its core, it’s still a weed—something that doesn’t belong and that ultimately chokes out life.

This reminds me of when I kept trying to figure out how to add value to my life by striving for degrees, certifications, and any other way to prove my worth to the world. I was miserable and couldn’t figure out why. But the Lord showed me I had weeds from my past choking out my present and future, because I was operating from my weed patch instead of from fertile soil. It was only when God began peeling back the layers and exposing the lies I believed that I finally saw the root of the weed—and was able to uproot it for good.

Jesus speaks to this in Luke 8, where He tells about a farmer planting seeds in the Parable of the Sower:

“Some fell in the weeds; as they came up, it was strangled by the weeds.” (Luke 8:7, MSG)

The weeds and thorns in our lives—the worries of life, pain, and past traumas—can choke out the spiritual growth God wants to cultivate in us. But when we allow God to clear out the weeds, He doesn’t do it all at once. Instead, He peels them back, one layer at a time. Each bract removed exposes another layer of the problem, allowing God to heal it. And when the final barrier—the choke—is cleared away, the heart is finally exposed, no longer hidden beneath layers of self-protection, and ready for God’s healing work to begin.

Without weeds and thorns choking the soil, we are left with fertile ground—a heart that is open, receptive, and ready for God to plant good, fruit-bearing seeds. Jesus continues in Luke 8:8, showing what happens when the seed falls into good soil:

“Still other seed fell on good soil. It came up and yielded a crop, a hundred times more than was sown.” (Luke 8:8, NIV)

So, when the Farmer is sowing His seed in your life, ask yourself: Is the seed falling among the weeds, where it’s being choked out by past hurts, fears, or distractions? Or are you allowing God to clear the weeds, creating fertile soil where fruit can grow abundantly—far beyond what you could ever imagine?

Maybe it’s time to ask God to pull back the layers, expose the weeds, and replace them with the good seeds He wants to plant. It won’t always be comfortable, but what’s on the other side? A life that bears fruit—a life that thrives.