If you have ever spent a summer on a farm, you know that some things are harder to kill than others. I grew up understanding the rhythm of the seasons and the stubbornness of the earth. Out of all the things that tried to take over a field, nothing was quite as persistent as Johnson Grass. It looks innocent enough when it first sprouts, looking like any other green blade reaching for the sun. However, if you have been around the block a few times, you know that what you see on the surface is only a fraction of the story.



In this edition of Austin Gardner Reviews, I want to take you back to those dusty fields to uncover a spiritual truth that changed how I view ministry and personal growth. We often spend our lives trying to look good on the outside while something destructive is spreading deep beneath the surface. The Austin Gardner Story has always been about more than just outward success; it is about the quiet, often painful work of letting God deal with our roots.

The Deception of the Surface

When I was a young man, I thought that if I could just keep the "weeds" of my life trimmed down, I was doing well. I focused on my behavior, my schedule, and my reputation. I was essentially taking a lawnmower to my soul. It looked neat for a Sunday morning, but by Tuesday, the same old frustrations and fears were poking their heads back up.

Johnson Grass is a perennial plant that spreads through massive underground stems called rhizomes. You can chop off the top a thousand times, and it will only come back thicker and stronger. It thrives on being ignored. Many of us treat our walk with God the same way. We "mow" our anger, we "trim" our pride, and we "prune" our habits, yet we wonder why we never feel truly free.

Hebrews 12:15 “Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled;”

If we don’t get to the root, the "bitterness" or the "sin" will always return. Real growth doesn't happen by managing your appearance; it happens by allowing the Holy Spirit to dig deep into the soil of your heart.

Austin Gardner Reviews the Cost of Legalism

For many years, I lived under the heavy weight of performance-based religion. I thought that if I worked harder and did more, God would love me more. Consequently, I became a master at "mowing" my life. I had the right vocabulary and outward actions, but beneath the surface, the roots of fear and self-reliance were choking out my joy.

I didn't become legalistic because I hated grace. I became legalistic because I loved God and was afraid of losing Him. I thought I had to protect my relationship with Him by being perfect. But the truth is, you cannot mow your way to holiness. You cannot perform your way into a peace that only comes through the finished work of Jesus Christ.

When we focus only on the surface, we lose our integrity. Integrity is not just doing the right thing when people are watching; it is being the same person at the root that you are at the leaf. In the Austin Gardner Story, I had to learn that God wasn't interested in my neatly trimmed lawn if the soil was full of dead men’s bones. He wanted the real me: the messy, rooted, honest version of Austin Gardner.

Digging Deep in the Mission Field

During my years as a missionary in the mountains and cities of Peru, I saw this principle play out in leadership. I would see young men with incredible talent and charismatic personalities start churches, only to see those works crumble a few years later. Why? Because they had focused on the "top" of their ministry: the attendance, the buildings, the excitement, without tending to the "roots" of their character.

Growth requires depth. If a plant grows too high without a corresponding root system, the first wind that blows will knock it over. I have faced many storms in my life, from the challenges of church planting to surviving Stage 4 Kidney Cancer and a severe bout with COVID. If my faith had been based only on my outward performance or my "success" as a speaker, those storms would have leveled me.

Instead, those trials forced me to dig deeper. They forced me to ask, "What am I actually rooted in?" If you are rooted in your ability to perform, you will live in constant anxiety. However, if you are rooted in the unconditional love of God, you can stand firm even when the world around you is shaking.

Integrity and the Hidden Life

Integrity is a word we throw around a lot, but it literally means "wholeness." A person of integrity is "integer": whole, not divided. The Johnson Grass is a divided plant; what you see isn't the whole story. A life of integrity is one where the root and the fruit match.

In my journey of finding peace when you are falsely accused, I learned that your reputation is what people think of you, but your character is what God knows of you. People can mow your reputation down to the dirt. They can spray poison on your name and try to kill your influence. But if your roots are healthy: if you are tucked away in the secret place with the Father: you will grow back.

“God’s mercy is after you right now, ready to bring real grace and honest hope.”

We often fear the digging process. We don't want to look at the roots of our trauma, our insecurity, or our secret sins. But God is a master gardener. He doesn't dig to destroy us; He digs to deliver us. He wants to pull out the Johnson Grass of legalism and self-effort so that He can plant the seeds of His Spirit.

Resting in the Root of Grace

The most beautiful part of this realization is that the work of "uprooting" isn't even something we do by our own strength. If you try to pull up Johnson Grass by yourself, you will likely leave a piece of the root behind, and it will just start all over again. The only way to truly clear the field is to let the Owner of the field do the work.

We have to take the big leap of faith and believe that God loves us exactly as we are, right now, with all our messy roots. Transformation doesn't come from your effort; it flows from your union with Christ. When you realize that you are already accepted, already loved, and already held, you stop trying to "fix" yourself and start letting Him change you.

Romans 6:6 “Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.”

The "old man" is the root that was already dealt with at the Cross. Our job is to walk in the reality of what Jesus has already done. We don't have to live in fear of the weeds. We can live in the freedom of the harvest.

Austin Gardner Reviews: The Path Forward

As I look back on the Austin Gardner Story, I see a lot of fields I tried to manage on my own. I see the years I spent exhausted, trying to keep every blade of grass in place. But today, I stand in a place of rest. I have learned that the best way to handle the Johnson Grass of life is to surrender the field to the Father.

If you are tired of the constant cycle of "mowing" your behavior only to see the same old problems return, stop. Stop the performance. Stop the striving. Let the Lord look at the roots. It might be uncomfortable for a season, but the fruit that comes from a healthy root is worth every bit of the digging.

Remember, you are not behind. You are not being graded. You are being held. Whether you are leading a ministry or just trying to get through the day, God’s mercy is running toward you with intention.

FAQ

What does it mean to get to the "root" of sin instead of just the surface?

Getting to the root means identifying the beliefs and fears that drive our behavior. Often, we sin because we are trying to meet a valid need (like security or love) in an invalid way. Instead of just stopping the action, we must allow God to heal the underlying belief that He isn't enough to satisfy us.

How can I tell if I am living in legalism or true faith?

Legalism is characterized by pressure, fear, and a focus on "doing" to be accepted. True faith is characterized by rest, joy, and a focus on "being" loved by God, which naturally leads to healthy actions. If your spiritual life feels like a heavy burden you have to carry, you might be focused on the surface instead of the root of grace.

Why does Austin Gardner emphasize "resting in the finished work"?

Because Jesus said, "It is finished." He didn't say, "It has started, now you finish it." When we rest in His finished work, we acknowledge that our salvation and our standing with God are completely secure because of His effort, not ours. This security is the only thing that provides the stability needed for real, lasting growth.

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