Healthy Competition

¹In the parable of the wheat and the tares, the householder tells his servants not to try to pull up the tares lest they accidentally pull up the wheat as well. But I can think of another reason. All through the growing period, the wheat would have to compete for light and water and nutrients with the tares, so that by the time harvest comes around, they would have a much stronger and more vibrant crop than they were used to. We may usually think it better if God would remove the trials and obstacles that seem to be choking us out, but we may realize in hindsight that leaving the tares in our life is actually one of the best things for us.