But worthless men are all like thorns that are thrown away, for they cannot be taken with the hand; but the man who touches them arms himself with iron and the shaft of a spear, and they are utterly consumed with fire. 2 Samuel 23:6-7
I’ve got a lot of weeds on my property. I pass by most of them every day without doing anything. I’ll spray occasionally, but most of my weeds know they’re safe, hiding in my prairie grass. If I see a thistle though, I’ll drop whatever I’m doing, get my gloves and go pull it out. If I’ve got a fire burning, even better. It goes in the fire. Not only are thistles painful to touch, but they develop a deep root system, are difficult to kill, and they spread fast. If I leave even one today, ten or twenty more will be there in a month. So, if I see a thistle, I deal with it ruthlessly, not tolerating any on my property.
This is how King David described certain worthless men in his kingdom. These were wicked individuals, enemies of his people, who didn’t follow God, and who would have led astray those who did. If left alone, they would have multiplied, infested the kingdom, and destroyed it from the inside. These men, King David declared, must be dealt with ruthlessly. If they would ruin the kingdom, then they must not be tolerated, but rather, must be violently cut out and destroyed.
Well, I’m not a king, and I don’t have a kingdom, but still, I’ve got thistles that show up in my life, with which I must deal ruthlessly. These aren’t people, but rather behaviors that I cannot tolerate. When a patient plops down a bottle of pain pills in front of me – which just happened last week – I quickly ask that they be put away. I just don’t want that temptation in front of me. I avoid movies with graphic nudity or sex in them because I don’t want those images in my brain. Still, there are little thistles, which I tolerate a little too long. When someone speaks ill of a coworker, I want to know the details. When someone brings donuts to work – particularly if they’re cream filled – I must try just one. The problem, of course, is that if I allow those thistles to stay, they grow, develop roots, spread, and become difficult to eradicate. The little things matter and if I let the little things go, they have a habit of becoming not-so-little things.
Daily then, I must examine my life for thistles. What little thing am I tolerating today that may spread and become a big thing tomorrow? When I see it, I must get my gloves on and do whatever it takes to rid myself of it. Thistles, even if they’re little, cannot be tolerated.