Choking

Still others, like seed sown among thorns, hear the word; 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.

Mark 4:18-19

Some think this passage speaks about unsaved people, but I disagree. I believe that this piece of the Parable of the Sower speaks of believers who prove to be tragically unproductive in their faith. In fact, I fear that this may even be true of a majority of believers today. We should read this passage then as a solemn warning that if we are not careful our faith in Jesus will amount to nothing. 

The passage points out three things we ought to be especially careful to avoid. Three things that rob the Christian of his fruitfulness in the Lord: the worries of this life, the deceitfulness of wealth, and desires for other things. Let's look at each briefly.

Have you ever considered that the worries of life, both big and small, might be distracting you from more important, eternal matters? Wouldn't it be a shame to get to Heaven only to realize that you never really lived for God because you were too busy fussing over earthly things of no eternal worth. What a shame it would be to squander your chance to store up treasure in Heaven because you were living instead for dirty laundry, accounts payable, sporting events, new cars, politics, and entertainment. Ruthlessly prioritize your life according to what matters most!

There is perhaps no greater or more effective deception in our world today than the lie that money will make you happy. We all claim to know this is a lie, but deep down inside most of us still believe that a little more money would somehow make us happy. It won't! Money won't solve your problems, and it won't fulfill you. Beware the love of money! Satan is skilled at using money to wage war against our souls. Both rich and poor alike must work hard to avoid being deceived by the lure of money. One of the best ways I have found to combat this is to regularly give my money to the Lord. This serves as a constant test and reminder of which one I love more. Sacrificial giving keeps love of money in check. 

Lastly, Jesus warns us that our desires can choke our fruitfulness. Luke's version of this parable refers to these desires as "the pleasures of life." We get used to having certain pleasures or comforts, don't we? I can say for certain that I tend to want life to become easier and more comfortable as I age.  If I'm not careful I quickly begin to see something that was once a nicety as a necessity in my life. Satan has plenty of shiny bobbles and trinkets to distract us with in this world. Be careful that you don't fall prey to a sales trick. Don't chase pleasure, chase the LORD!

Take a moment to walk through the fields of your life and check on your harvest. Is the bounty coming in or are there thorny weeds that you need to pull?