Immediately, I knew this wasn't something just flitting through my mind courtesy of the prince of the air, (Satan). But this was something I nurtured secretly and let live inside of me.
There was only one thing to do. I had to acknowledge the presence of this hateful root before God. I was ashamed when I bowed my head and confessed to the ugliness I found growing in me.
I did not make any excuse for the root being there. I did not claim it had any kind of right to be there either. It did not matter that I could have hurled a ton of reasons for its presence. It was a bad seed from the start. And I've learned that a weed can have pretty flowers but it will never bear any good fruit.
Then God did a miraculous thing. He dug that root up. The relief that flooded through my soul was an acknowledgement of the work of God.
I did not deserve to have the Holy Spirit in me. I did not deserve His help any more than I deserved Jesus to give His life for me.
And I cannot tell you how grateful I am. It is because and only because of the love and mercy of God, I can have a clean heart. A clean heart is a free one.
For I have found it is the unacknowledged things that grow and take place in my heart that can work like weeds to destroy the good plants. So, I have to be careful--ready to let the light of God shine on every weed that sprouts.
Because He does have something good to grow in its place. I just have to make sure the ground of my heart is ready.