Cutting Off the Sucker Shoots

As I was driving through a housing addition the other day, something caught my eye. There were many beautiful homes. Most of them were only a year or two old. Someone had planned well and designed amazing landscapes. Unfortunately, there was one home that stuck out from the rest. There, beneath the beautiful flowering crape myrtles, were sucker shoots springing up from the base of the plant. Judging by the height of these shoots, this was not their first year. There is more to sucker shoots at the base of a tree or shrub than the obvious eye sore it creates. Sucker shoots are thieves that rob the plant of energy and nutrients.

“Therefore, since we also have such a large cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us lay aside every weight and the sin that so easily ensnares us. Let us run with endurance the race that lies before us.” (Hebrews 12:1)

My husband & I have always had a heart for young people. Years ago, we knew two young men that were new to their Christian walk. Both of them were in their early twenties and came from a tough family background. They were hungry to learn more about Jesus. They also desperately desired to know what it was like to be in a real family. Every Sunday afternoon they came to our home for a traditional roast beef dinner. We talked with them for hours. We laughed, shed many tears, prayed for and encouraged them. They attended church on a regular basis and began to volunteer in the children’s ministry. We rejoiced as they appeared to grow and become more and more the new creation God called them to be. They both dated good, Christian women and were well on their way to a new life in Christ. After a year or two passed we noticed a pattern. As long as they were with us they thrived and did well. But when they were by themselves they slipped back into their old habits. They had chosen to become sucker shoots. They wanted us to be their strength and their conscience.

There comes a time in our lives when we all must take responsibility for our own lives. As we increase in the knowledge of God’s Word, we also become more responsible for living out that knowledge. At the time these two young men were in our lives, our own three sons were in grade school. More and more these two young men were in our home. We realized one day that we were actually spending more time and energy with them than we were our own children. We began to encourage our two young friends to spend less time with us and stand on their own two feet. One did fairly well for a while. He even married the young woman he was dating. Sadly, a few years later, their marriage ended in divorce. The other slowly went back to many of his old habits. He eventually did marry, but last we knew he was living a mediocre life, blaming his past for his attitude, temper, and bad habits.

The Lord gave us three wonderful sons to raise. As Christian parents we have a mandate from God to love, train and teach them the Word of God. Yes, there is also the great commission to spread the Gospel. But if it costs the souls of our own flesh and blood, then we have gained nothing and will have much to answer for.

“Train up a child in the way he should go (and in keeping with his individual gift or bent), and when he is old he will not depart from it” (Proverbs 22:6)

It has been at least fourteen years. Our own sons are now grown men. They love and serve God with all their hearts. They are brothers and best friends. They are different from each other with different gifts and talents. One is a Pastor, one is a State Trooper, one owns his own web design/advertising business.

My husband & I have never regretted making the decision to cut off certain relationships in our lives. I encourage you today to examine the people that you allow into the inner circle of your life. Focus first and foremost on your own children. Listen to the voice of the Holy Spirit as you reach out to the people around you. There is a lost and hurting world around us, and we have a job to do. Don’t let the enemy use sucker shoots to distract you.

“Behold, I am sending you out like sheep in the midst of wolves; be wary and wise as serpents, and be innocent (harmless, guileless, and without falsity) as doves. (Matthew 10:16)