How is Your Soil?

Mark 4

The Parable of the Sower

 1Again Jesus began to teach by the lake. The crowd that gathered around him was so large that he got into a boat and sat in it out on the lake, while all the people were along the shore at the water’s edge. 2He taught them many things by parables, and in his teaching said: 3“Listen! A farmer went out to sow his seed. 4As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. 5Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. 6But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. 7Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants, so that they did not bear grain. 8Still other seed fell on good soil. It came up, grew and produced a crop, multiplying thirty, sixty, or even a hundred times.” 9Then Jesus said, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear.”

 10When he was alone, the Twelve and the others around him asked him about the parables. 11He told them, “The secret of the kingdom of God has been given to you. But to those on the outside everything is said in parables 12so that,
   ” ‘they may be ever seeing but never perceiving,
      and ever hearing but never understanding;
   otherwise they might turn and be forgiven!’^[a]“

 13Then Jesus said to them, “Don’t you understand this parable? How then will you understand any parable? 14The farmer sows the word. 15Some people are like seed along the path, where the word is sown. As soon as they hear it, Satan comes and takes away the word that was sown in them. 16Others, like seed sown on rocky places, hear the word and at once receive it with joy. 17But since they have no root, they last only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall away. 18Still others, like seed sown among thorns, hear the word; 19but the worries of this life, the deceitfulness of wealth and the desires for other things come in and choke the word, making it unfruitful. 20Others, like seed sown on good soil, hear the word, accept it, and produce a crop—thirty, sixty or even a hundred times what was sown.”

In this parable Jesus uses 4 different types of soil to illustrate 4 different ways that people recieve God’s message.   Obviously we want to strive to be like good soil and soak up the Word and apply it into our lives.  I think that it is possible for people to have some of all 4 types of soil in their lives.  Some people may be patient and treat others in a loving and respectful way but, they are out of control with their finances.  Others may invest so much time into their worldy pursuits that they leave little to no time to be still and have a relationship with God.  Some struggle with giving their resources to the needy because it might lessen the ability to acquire their worldly desires.  Still some give freely and feel wonderful about it but, maybe they have a drinking problem, they over indulge in food, they are addicted to pornography or, you fill in the blank. 

These different soils seem to represent where we are with our walk with Jesus in any given area of life.  By taking a look in the mirror I can see where I have some areas in my life that have pretty good soil where the soil in other areas might have some rock and thorns mixed in.   I know I have to constantly strive to get my life filled with good soil and until this happens I will not fully comprehend and recieve all the blessings God has for me. 

A saying I adopted some time ago is “Actions speak so loud you can hardly hear any Words.”  Quite possibly the best way to become a good witness to others is by putting God’s teachings in our own lives into practice.  I think people will take notice in how we treat and interact with them, our families, and others we come into contact with.  They can see if we take the time to pray before meals and for those who are in need.  Conversely if we talk harshly about people, engage in unethical business practices, or mistreat others it can discredit our witness and even worse possibly push people even further away from a relationship with God. 

Does your life provide an illustration of how to live for God?  How is your soil? 

Lifehouse’s Everything Skit

This video is well worth the 5 minutes it will take to watch it!  Prepare to be moved!

Got Worry?

I was speaking with a good friend today and we got on the subject of worry.  It seems that most of us have battles with worry all the time.  We worry about all kinds of things, our health, our finances, what others think of us all the way down to  simple things like what shirt am I going to wear tomorrow?  Many times people put forth so much worry that they seem to almost become obsessed with it.  When consumed with  worry many can’t even function.   In the book of Matthew in Chapter 6 Jesus speaks directly about worry. 

Chapter 6: 25-27

25“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? 26Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? 27Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life^[a]?  

Verse 27 sums up this verse to me, “Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life.”  I think worry actually does the oposite of this above statement.  I think that when we worry we actually rob ourselves of the blessings that GOD has for us.  

32For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. 33But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. 34Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

Here Jesus reminds us that we need to keep our focus on GOD.  When we start worrying we panic and shift our focus from GOD to our worries.  This is where I think we rob ourselves.  When our focus shifts away from GOD we are  turning our ears away from the best life coach of all time.  We need to fill our lives with his desires and look to him for guidance in all we do.  I am certainly not saying that I think we should go through life in a non-chalant fashion.  I think we still need to be proactive in making positive steps towards the goals that we have.  However, I do strongly believe that we need to turn over all our plans and desires over to GOD first and then move into action once we feel at peace that these plans mesh with what He is leading us to do. 

 The Rubber Meets the Road

Where I think the rubber meets the road is that if we maintain intentional focus on seeking GOD and living our lives the way that Jesus taught, the things that we really need will fall into place.  Speaking from my personal life, I can look back and see a direct correlation between the times when I have kept GOD and his Word close to my chest and when I have let Him take a back seat for awhile.   When I grab the wheel and try and steer on my own, it doesn’t take long to find myself off the path that has been mapped out for my life.  For me it is a natural instinct to want to take control especially in time of adversity, nervousness, or concern.  How do you react during these times?  Do you attempt to take control and find yourself with an almost paralyzing case of worry, or do you faithfully turn to GOD and look patiently for guidance?