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The seeds that get choked out

Have you read the parable of the farmer planting the seeds? I've heard it multiple times, but it hit me differently as I was reading it last week -

Mark 4:13-20:

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


I read verses 18-20, sat back in my chair and it hit me. I'd been getting choked out by distractions and that is literally what the enemy put them in place for. The worries, our phones, material things, little or big issues and sinful desires are the thorns of our lives - if we allow them to be. We all get distracted by them at times. In the parable Jesus describes these people as being unfruitful seeds. Why? because their focus is elsewhere. They're overtaken by the troubles and things that inevitably come for all of us. If you're a Christian, chances are you're dealing with persecution on a regular basis. Whether physical, spiritual, mental, or maybe a cocktail of all three at the same time...my favorite (just kidding). It is a part of our walk with Jesus and it can make the highs reeeeally high and the lows make you question if you're going to make it. Sometimes you might have seasons, or even years, where you feel like you're being put in a blender. What I know for sure throughout my faith journey thus far is that if the struggle is at an all time high, it's because Satan is trying his hardest to get us to give up the ship...rendering us unfruitful, exhausted and angry. We all have an achilles heel and the enemy knows exactly what form that comes in, and he'll try to sucker punch you with it until he thinks you're about to break.


If you're a visual person, this parable explanation will probably make more sense to you, too. So picture it, what are the thorns trying to prevent you from your seed being firmly rooted in the Lord, and producing good fruit for the kingdom of God? I like how the ESV version puts it. In Jesus' words, He says "the seeds sewn among thorns are the ones who hear the word of God, but the cares of the world, the deceitfulness of riches and the desires for other things enter in and choke the word out". Which in turn prevents them from growing, or producing any good fruit in their lives.


Where are you at? Are you allowing the distractions of life cloud your mental, physical and spiritual space? The older I've gotten, the more I can't give time to things that are unfruitful. I'm certainly not immune to them, but I'm much more aware. The goal is to dodge and avoid them before we look up and realize we've wasted so much precious time. Sometimes even months or years focusing on things that don't produce the ultimate harvest, which is to bring God glory, love Him, and love others.


I've been thinking a lot about the scripture that says, "In humility, value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of others" (Philippians 2: 3-4). In fact, it's been on my heart for more than a few years in the current culture we're in. In a world that tells us, "you do you" and to look out for number one, we are our biggest distraction. Our wants, our emotions, our problems, we make them massive until they're all consuming. And then, where's the space for caring for other people? Where's the room to produce lasting fruit, a legacy of kindness, love and generosity? If it's all about us all the time, I truly believe we choke out our own seed. And in a world always telling us we need to be more, do more and accomplish more, it's too easy to get sucked into the vortex of self. Like a dog who chases it's own tail, we go around and around again, coming up empty and fruitless until we realize...it isn't about us. The goal is to stop chasing and focus on the work that truly matters - Him, and other people.


The world will never quit nagging at us to fill our every moment with pointless junk. But we can put the kibosh on it by staying connected to Jesus. It's really so crazy simple, but we get caught up in the cares of life and forget to simply ask God, "Is this what you want me to do? What do you want me to do?". And He always gently guides or corrects in the kindest way possible, because it's who He is.


So my friend, put the phone down, the worry, the media in all it's captivating forms, the cares of the election, the house chores, the millions of errands you need to run on behalf of you and your family - and just be. Don't let your seed get choked out any longer. Ask Jesus what's important right now. Let Him fine tune your focus so your seed can be one sewn on good soil and your mission can be recalibrated. You're in control of what you give your attention to. Don't waste your time or the opportunity to produce beautiful things in your life, others lives and the kingdom of God!










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