I am Thorny Soil
I was reading in Mark today about the parable of the sower. I've heard the story so many times I usually don't even think about it. Of course, I must be the good seed because I'm listening to the word and because I believe so strongly in God's message.
As I read Jesus' description of what he meant by the parable, I realized I had been fooling myself all along. It's not that I don't believe: I am trying to grow in the thorny soil. But I am also being choked by worries and deceitful things of this world: like American consumerism.
Even though I do believe, and I'm trying to grow, I am letting myself be unproductive. I need to ask the Gardener to come by and rip some of those thorns out of my life, despite how painful it might be. I know the things that I ought to do, but I let myself get distracted by my problems, which sometimes seem too big for my tiny seedling status. If I want to grow and mature and be productive in my faith, I have to get rid of the thorns that are crowding God out of my life.
Rather than saying, I know God wants me to write, but worrying about what He wants me to write, or when I'm going to find the time to write, I just need to sit down and start doing it. Why do I let worry control my life? Rather than dwell on the past or future, I need to live for the present and do everything I can to live an abundant, productive life right now. Rather than checking my bank account and worrying about a new car or a new house somewhere down the road, I need to be asking what God wants me to give and where God wants me to go.
God, please help me trim these thorns back so that I can worship You wholeheartedly and live my life as a productive being with a view of the huge, limitless horizon.
As I read Jesus' description of what he meant by the parable, I realized I had been fooling myself all along. It's not that I don't believe: I am trying to grow in the thorny soil. But I am also being choked by worries and deceitful things of this world: like American consumerism.
Even though I do believe, and I'm trying to grow, I am letting myself be unproductive. I need to ask the Gardener to come by and rip some of those thorns out of my life, despite how painful it might be. I know the things that I ought to do, but I let myself get distracted by my problems, which sometimes seem too big for my tiny seedling status. If I want to grow and mature and be productive in my faith, I have to get rid of the thorns that are crowding God out of my life.
Rather than saying, I know God wants me to write, but worrying about what He wants me to write, or when I'm going to find the time to write, I just need to sit down and start doing it. Why do I let worry control my life? Rather than dwell on the past or future, I need to live for the present and do everything I can to live an abundant, productive life right now. Rather than checking my bank account and worrying about a new car or a new house somewhere down the road, I need to be asking what God wants me to give and where God wants me to go.
God, please help me trim these thorns back so that I can worship You wholeheartedly and live my life as a productive being with a view of the huge, limitless horizon.
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