Invasive VS Native
This last week I went to my first women’s forestry land owner work shop put on by the state of Georiga and learned a lot about forestry including invasive plants vs native plants. And after studying them it got me thinking how sin is a LOT like an invasive plant and how God and his holiness is like natives and how this plays out in our lives.
You might be thinking well just read the Bible, who cares about what plants are like!
Maybe learning and encouragement ain’t your thing, that’s okay but that’s what this is for, its a fun way to see another ways to watch out for sin and to associate it with some of Gods wonderful creation.
So let’s dig in…
haha did you get that pun? Because we’re … studying … about … plants? No? Ok I thought it was funny. lol
What is the definition of a Native plant?
Indigenous terrestrial and aquatic species that have evolved and occur naturally in a particular region, ecosystem, and habitat.
What is the definition of an Invasive plant?
A species that is. Non-native (or alien) to the ecosystem under consideration; and, Whose introduction causes or is likely to cause economic or environmental harm or harm to human health.
So we see natives are supposed to be there they were originally designed to be in that state or eco system, where invasive’s sound like what they are they invade and causes harm.
Now let’s see how this lines up with the Bible.
The good: (native)
So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. (Genesis 1:27)
For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them. (Ephesians 2:10)
And have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator. (Colossians 3:10)
Everyone who is called by my name, whom I created for my glory, whom I formed and made.” (Isaiah 43:7)
That’s just a few examples of how our origins of life is rooted (inserting a grin for the pun) in the “nativness” of God. We were his original plan. God made Adam and Eve with out sin there was no invasive’s in them until an invader appeared right? Read Genesis 2-3 for the story.
The bad: (invasive)
If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us. (1 John 1:8-10)
And he said, “What comes out of a person is what defiles him. For from within, out of the heart of man, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, coveting, wickedness, deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride, foolishness. All these evil things come from within, and they defile a person.” (Mark 7:20-23)
If your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body be thrown into hell (Matthew 5:29)
Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, and give no opportunity to the devil. (Ephesians 4:26-27)
So obviously we see sin as an invasive species in our life that can destroy us! Even if we are saved by grace we still have the decision of sinning or not sinning.
Did you know magnolias, swamp milkweed, golden rod, redbuds, broom sedge and much more are native plants to Georgia? Also they all serve a good purpose in our Georgia ecosystem.
Its kinda like being made in Gods image serves a purpose in our life, the fruit of the spirit’s serves a good purpose in our lives ecosystem.
But! Kudzu, Cogongrass, chinaberry tree, Japanese honey suckle, wisteria, Bradford pear and more are all invasive species and a big danger to our native plants.
Why does this matter?
Because this is the part in the meeting that hit me that I wanted to do a article and podcast on this topic “our natives can not compete against invasive species, because the invasive ones grow faster and bigger!”
What hit me is our sin is the exact same way! Our sin and us choosing to sin sends us to hell! It also keeps us from God! It made people kill Jesus! Gods only son! It corrupts this world!
In the same way those invasive plants we just saw will literally choke out good plants and destroy them, just like sin, it destroys everything!
Story time!
So when we bought the farm that we live on no, one of the things I was most excited about was a fig tree. Now remember Joe grew up here and so when we started dating I was on this farm all the time. So I had seen and tasted these beautiful figs, Literally they would be the size of a small apple! Biggest figs I have ever seen in my life! Well after Joe’s parents moved off the farm the fig tree was no longer looked after.
So once we bought this place I started to look at the tree, I was so excited because there was so much greenery! But I did notice that there was a little bit of Japanese honeysuckles in the mix. But little did I know, but I soon found out after investigating closer, the beautiful looking and sweet smelling honeysuckles had grown around this tree and was literally strangling it to death! Half of this huge tree had already died!
But from afar it looked healthy and beautiful until you got up close and saw the invasive plant strangling the life out of this tree. As you can see the red underlining is all of the honeysuckles we cleared off of it and the after math of our pore fig tree! The little left part still ended up dying.
If we wouldn’t have cleared all the invasive honeysuckle off of it, it would have completely killed the tree. Just like sin in our life, if we don’t admit we have sin in our life and it has a hold of us and literally killing us, and if we don’t ask Jesus to come save us and take our sin from us we are going to die! Because the Bible says the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 6:23)
Now how about after your saved? Can sin still affect you? YOU BETTER BELIEVE IT! Let me say it again YOU BETTER BELIEVE IT! If someone says once you’re saved you can never sin again or will never sin again let me give you some advice. RUN! Run away from that person! Block their number! Lock your doors! Open your Bible and start praying for that person lol.
But in all seriousness yes we still can and will sin even as Christ followers. We should try our best not to! But we are humans and we are living in a fallen world. One of the clearest examples in Scripture was Peter, who denied Christ three times. Those denials weren’t even “mistakes” they were intentional. Not only did Jesus forgive Peter, He places Peter in a position of leadership.
“Whoever sows to please their flesh, from the flesh will reap destruction; whoever sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life” (Galatians 6:8)
What’s amazing to me is how sin can seek up on us just like some of these invasive species do, I mean I LOVE Japanese honeysuckle’s! They smell and tastes soooo good! Kinda like say dabbling in the sin of an inappropriate relationship with someone who’s not your wife or husband, it might be fun and exciting and feel good but wouldn’t you agree it is killing your marriage? And hurting your family? And even worst disappointing God?
How about wisteria? I love that stuff it is sooooo beautiful! I ain’t gonna lie I really want some on one of our silos. But that stuff spreads so fast and kills every plant around it by choking it out. Let’s say its just like lying, some people tell lies that don’t “hurt” or makes them feel important or better. But we can agree we shouldn’t lie, God doesn’t want us to lie. Lying breaks trust and so if you know someone who lies I bet you’re not going to believe a word they say because how can you? And if that’s the case then when they try to tell people about Jesus and his gift do you think people are going to believe them? No not at all. Even if they do only tell pretty lies they are still a lier.
How to Identify Sin
So how can we identify invasive species in our life? Just like we would if we were walking in the woods looking for invasive things, we would look them up in a book, or look it up online or talk to someone who knows about these things to see what we need to look out for, and what is best to do in the situation. Just like reading Gods word is going to tell you what sin is and what it looks like and how to deal with it. Also it might be good for you to go to someone who might have been studying things like this for years and even have dealt with some of the same things in their life might can help you, but always remember go to the Bible and double check what anyone say.
Another important thing is to help each other out as brother and sisters in Christ. We recently had a good conversation about this with someone and we all agreed that there are very few people we personally know that wouldn’t use our sin against us. Meaning there is only a few if I went to them with my problem they wouldn’t view me any differently but instead of helping me though it and not just spreading it for their own self gain. This is why its so important to have fellow Christ followers to help de-weed you and pull off the life choking vines of sin off of you. Now obvious only Jesus can forgive those sins but it is no fun and can be vary dangerous to walk in sin alone.!
How did the invasive species get here anyways?
Well one of the cool things we learned that the port of Savanah Ga is like the second biggest port in the US and in 1994 there was 550,000 shipping containers delivered, but in 2021 there were 5.61 million shipping containers delivered there. A lot of seeds can get on things that are being delivered and even the containers them selves! Also when we talk about state to state a lot of things in Georgia came from a stater state like the cogongress because of tractor equipment like disks and mowers that weren’t cleaned off and brought over here. Sometimes people bought plants and planted them here for their beautiful such as the Bradford pear.
Just like those few examples sin can find us in many different ways. It can be through people we hang out with, things we watch or listen to, places we go, things we read, things we put in our body, “church’s” we go to (oh yes there are church’s that cause people to sin! Look at the alphabet soup “churchs” now!), social media, and much more. (Mark 7:20-23) ( 2 Timothy 3:1-5)
I could go on and on with Bible verses about this.
But hers the deal, if you are saved you have the Holy sprit in you and know what is wrong and right and what sin is. So do NOT let it creep in and destroy you!
Go to someone you trust and tell them what you’re struggling with! And if you don’t have someone in your life you can trust, then just know Joe and I both are here for you or even individually if you want Joe or just me. But you can have total confidence we only want what’s best for you and that is a life serving Jesus and not satan and sin. This life is messy and hard and only getting more messy and harder. Sin has never ever been more easy than it is today. But most of all go to God lay it before him and totally repent.
How can we get rid of invasive species once and for all?
Well if your a china berry tree you get cut down, destroyed, your root sprayed with chemicals, then dug up. That’s the only way to kill them.
But if it’s sin you’re trying to get rid of there’s only one way, you have to realize you are a sinner, know that Jesus died for you and that the Holy trinity is real and alive, turn from your sin 180 degrees and run to Jesus ask Him to forgive you, and be born again, it’s is wise to be baptized (but it does NOT save you because an action can’t save you only Gods grace). Start reading his word, learn how to love, follow Jesus two commands (love God with all your heart soul and mind and love your neighbor as your self). Get together with fellow Christ followers, but that doesn’t kill your sin, the only way to kill your sin is when you die and go onto heaven or get raptured into heaven is when your sin will truly die. What a beautiful day that is going to be, eh!
I hope you enjoyed learning some fun facts about native and invasive species, also being encouraged by Gods word for your life.
Just know I work on this every single day, and I definantly ain’t casting no stones!
Have a great day and may the Good Lord Bless you.
~Ann Lester~