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Seeking the perspective of Jesus

"Now the parable is this: the seed is the word of God. Those beside the road are those who have heard; then the devil comes and takes away the word from their heart, so that they will not believe and be saved. Those on the rocky soil are those who, when they hear, receive the word with joy; and these have no firm root; they believe for a while, and in time of temptation fall away. The seed which fell among the thorns, these are the ones who have heard, and as they go on their way they are choked with worries and riches and pleasures of this life, and bring no fruit to maturity. But the seed in the good soil, these are the ones who have heard the word in an honest and good heart, and hold it fast, and bear fruit with perseverance. Luke 8: 11 - 15 NIV

This past year, my wife and I have realized a long-term dream which to own and enjoy a small farm. We visit it 2 or 3 times a week, for it is only an hour drive from both our home and my office. Sometimes, we even commute. The purpose of the farm is for a long-term family investment, but most of all, to use it in ministry as a dedicated place for me to write and for prayer retreats and such. The farm is in process of developing, as we apply some elbow grease to make the place into what we feel God desires. But, it is already proving to be an enjoyable retreat for prayer and inspiration. So let me share some inspiration that I have received lately:

On this farm I have a good place to grow a garden, which has been something I’ve wanted to do for a long time but didn’t have a place to do before. Sure, it’s a task, but one that I am growing to love as I learn to garden in the soil we live on in Northwest Arkansas. Maybe I can sum it up by what my neighbor told me when I started to prepare the garden, since his farm is next to ours and has the same soil? He said to dig a hole where I want to plant something and fill it with topsoil from another place and take the native soil that I dug up and use it for a roadbed, for that is about all it is good for. Yep, I’m learning a lot about growing a garden and especially in rocky soil. The most obvious thing is that nothing will grow in rocky soil. But I’m also learning something about good soil.

Now, the topsoil that I put in the hole I dug in the rocky soil will indeed grown things, especially weeds. However, the soil still lacks proper nutrition to become “good soil,” and any vegetable plant I put in it will grow weak and will not be able to produce properly. Weeds will easily overcome my struggling plants, as they will suck up any nutrition in the soil. Weeds grow faster than the plant. So, not only do I need to constantly weed this soil, I must also stimulate it to get the right nutrition in it if I want “good soil.” To do this, I add compost and other ingredients to the soil and till it in until it is loamy and has the right nutrition. Then and only then, my garden is ready to produce and grow healthy plants, for they are now in good soil. Where am I going with this, for this is not a County Co-Op article I’m writing to you? There is hidden truth in the parallel I am making just as it was with Jesus parable.

I believe there are at least 2, maybe 3 Christians mentioned by Jesus in His parable. There are those who fall away (rocky soil), those who are choked down (weeds) and those who are living as we should (good soil). It is only in the good soil that a Christian will produce fruit and as Jesus said in John 15, we can produce fruit only one way and that is by abiding with Him. So, the “good soil” is actually the abiding relationship with Jesus. In this relationship, all the necessary ingredients are found, as in the good soil I mentioned. In this “good soil”, we will do what we are designed to do naturally, which is to bear fruit. It is also in this “good soil’ or the abiding relationship with Christ, that we are under the Vinedresser’s care, and He will prune us as He pleases so that we will bear more fruit. This includes weeding, as He takes away the worries that would choke us. We can joyfully release the care of ourselves to Him, for we are in the “good soil” and He is our Gardener. But, what about the other Believers who do not live in the “good soil”? Is there hope for these people who live such a life? You bet there is, but it will not be in rocky or weed- entangled soil. They must get their life into the “good soil.” Since there are ingredients that make up the “good soil”, let’s consider what ingredients need to be added to our life to move us from the rocks and the thorny soil to put us in the “good soil” that we all long for deep down.

Ingredients needed to move to the “good soil:”

• Nutrition: I mentioned that regular dirt would not properly grow plants, for they cannot compete against the weeds. Other nutrition must be added to make them strong. Jesus said the thorns in His parable represent the worries and pursuit of riches that choke out the fruit in a person’s life. This fruit would certainly include our quality of life, but also the purpose of it. These weeds choke out our purpose, our joy and our happiness. These worries and other pursuits are evidence in our life that there is something wrong. In this, we are seeing symptoms of spiritual anemia. In other words, they indicate something is missing in our life and if we want change, then we have to do some soil changes. The antidote for spiritual anemia is a daily dose of God’s word. However, we don’t just sprinkle it on us like a topical dressing and say, “There, I did that.” No, we must till it into our life like I tilled the compost and other elements into the soil. It has to become integrated within the fabric of our life. God’s word becomes a filter system for our thoughts, our words and our actions. It changes the nature of our soil, as our life becomes easily pliable in the hands of the Master Gardner. Therefore, we read God’s word, we apply its truths to our life, and we respond by obeying them. Then, we are headed for the “good soil.”
• Fellowship with spiritually healthy people: God provides examples of what a life planted in “good soil” looks like. These people are a great place to find wisdom and insight for moving your life into good soil. Just being around them goes a long way toward weeding the garden of our life. Seek these people and hang out with them until you start to look through their eyes.
• A good church: Not all churches are good churches and your condition will not improve if you fellowship with a church that doesn’t teach biblical truths and act according to them. However, if you are able to find one, join it and become involved. Isolation for a Christian man’s family and himself from the Body of Christ is fertile soil for weeds, not fruit. It is dangerous.
• Weeding: I said that the weeds are evidence of a spiritual deficiency and that God’s word will overcome the weeds. However, until we find ourselves under the vinedresser’s care, we will have to do some of our own weeding. How do we do this? A worry is produced because of some sort of fear. We must deal with that worry as if we were pulling weeds from a garden. How do we act? What does scripture tell us to do? Look and learn:

Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4: 4-7

Rejoice: You have no need to fear. God is with you. Turn your heart from fear to rejoicing for His help is on the way.

Be evident to all: It is important to express your hope to others by the way they see your life. Is it heavy-laden and deeply burdened or is it evident to all that you are putting your trust in your King? Let your hope shine out as if you have already received the help that is coming.

Do not be anxious: God would not have inspired this instruction to us if it were an uncontrollable urge. We have the ability to not be anxious if we will accept that there is nothing to be anxious about, for God has heard our prayer and is acting on our request.

But in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. Apply God’s truth to the weeds. When we transfer our worry and the condition that got us into it to God, then He is able to work on or behalf. What is the result? As with all “good soil” there is a harvest. In this case the immediate harvest is……the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus

• Personal abandonment and absolute trust: If you desire to live in the “good soil“, you cannot stay in the weeds. There is action on your part required to go there and stay there. I have given you some “nutritional ingredients” that will move you toward the “good soil” of an abiding relationship with Christ. But, before you can enter there, personal abandonment of the rights you retain for yourself and absolute trust in your King is required. When this is done, a harvest will follow. But, you cannot be double-minded and hope to get into the “good soil.”