A profound and revealing story is provided for us in Matthew 13 in the New Testament, which is both convicting and very inspiring.
It is about a farmer who sowed seed among four different types of soil and how the seed responded to its surroundings. Space here can’t do the whole story justice, so I want to focus on just one of the areas where some of the seeds were planted.
In the story, the seeds represent the Word of God being planted in the hearts of people. Some people can’t respond wholeheartedly to the word being planted in their hearts because there are choking thorns in their lives which represent the worries of life and the deceitfulness of riches. As a result, their life becomes unfruitful.
So, here’s my question. What are the thorns in your life, the thoughts and habit patterns that you are believing and acting out, that are causing your life to be unfruitful?
Need some examples? Here are some thoughts that might be plaguing you:
“I will never get out of debt.”
“I just can’t seem to lose any weight.”
“When will I ever get a better job?”
“What would people think about me if they ever knew the real me?” And on and on…
Here are some habit patterns that might be not only affecting your walk with the Lord but also your time and your energy: Procrastination, perfectionism, enabling those we love, and doing too much with no margin in our lives.
These are just a few of the thoughts and habit patterns that just might be warring against your spirit, acting like thorns in your soul and choking your effectiveness.
These thoughts are thorns in your flesh, so ask the Lord to show you what is choking your life. He is a faithful Father who loves to reveal to His kids more about Himself and just who they are in His Son. When you begin to study who you are in Christ and what you have and what you can do through His son, your thorns will disappear and fruit will start budding forth like daisies in a mountain meadow.