Which Soil Are You?

This is the meaning of the parable: The seed is the word of God. Those along the path are the ones who hear, and then the devil comes and takes away the word from their hearts, so that they may not believe and be saved. Those on the rock are the ones who receive the word with joy when they hear it, but they have no root. They believe for a while, but in the time of testing they fall away. The seed that fell among thorns stands for those who hear, but as they go on their way they are choked by life's worries, riches and pleasures, and they do not mature. But the seed on good soil stands for those with a noble and good heart, who hear the word, retain it, and by persevering produce a crop. Luke 8:11-15

America. The land of wealth and opportunity. Most of us have not only never had to do without anything we really needed; we have way too much “stuff” in our lives, providing us with distraction from what’s really important.

I heard a story (I think I have the details straight) about an American and a man from Africa arguing over who was poorer. The American said the African was poorer because he had Jesus and nothing else, and the African said the American was poorer because he had Jesus plus too much else.

I was convicted this morning as I read this passage in Luke. Am I like the thorny soil which never allows the word of God to mature in my life? Do all my activities, possessions and other distractions keep me from forming as true and deep a relationship with Him as I could? If so, what can I do about it?

I have found that it is during the harder times of life, financial or otherwise, that I grow closer to God as I am forced to trust in Him and nothing else.

I’m not sure what the solution is. I was born in America, and it would be hard to live without all my stuff, but I pray that God will enable me to not be distracted by it all, to get things into perspective and discover for myself what’s really important in life and how to rely totally on Him even when there are potential distractions between us.

But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ—the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith. Philippians 3:7-9