How To Be Fruitful (4)

"The seeds...fell among...thorns."     Luke 8:14 NLT

You must eliminate the weeds.  In His famous parable of the sower, Jesus said the seed fell into four different kinds of soil.  "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" (v. 14 NIV).  Notice, three varieties of "weeds" can keep you from growing into spiritual maturity.  (1) Worry.  You become so preoccupied with everyday cares that you take your eyes off Jesus.  (2) Riches.  Making money and buying things dominates your life so much that you don't have time for the Lord.  (3) Pleasure.  Pursuing "the good life" can choke out your spiritual growth.  It's okay to have a good time, but you need to protect your priorities.  When you have time to shop, go to the beach, play golf, or spend hours watching television yet you don't have time to read your Bible and pray, your priorities are out of balance.  You say, "I just don't have time to serve the Lord.  I'm too busy. I don't have time to commit."  Then you are too busy!  You'd better do some weeding.  Lots of things in life are not necessarily wrong; they are just not necessary.  Maybe you need to cut back your schedule a little to remove the weeds.  You have to tend your tomato plants, but you don't have to do anything to produce dandelions; they grow by themselves when you neglect your garden.  Getting the idea?  If the "weeds" in your life are keeping you from bearing "fruit," it's time to stop talking about it and take action.

This message taken from: Daily Devotional - The Word For You Today