Friday, September 11, 2015

Developing the Roots of Faith

"A farmer went out to sow his seed. As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path; it was trampled on, and the birds of the air ate it up. Some fell on rock, and when it came up, the plants withered because they had no moisture. Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up with it and choked the plants. Still other seed fell on good soil. It came up and yielded a crop, a hundred times more than was sown." When he said this, he called out, "He who has ears to hear, let him hear."

His disciples asked him what this parable meant. He said, "The knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of God has been given to you, but to others I speak in parables, so that, 'though seeing, they may not see; though hearing, they may not understand.'

"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 8:5-15 NIV)

I have seen this parable played out in the lives of students so many times.  There are those who at first seem open to pursuing the Lord, but then their doubts overwhelm them and they’re gone.  There are the ones that have a great experience with the Lord and are full of excitement.  They float along on the emotional high of a new way of life. But then the emotion dwindles, disappointments come, and their enthusiasm for the Lord runs dry.  I have also seen those who are fully committed to the Lord, but circumstances in life derail them.  It may be a new relationship, the demands of school or a job, or just the desire to enjoy the pleasures of this world.    

The scenarios may be different, but the cause is the same—the roots of faith were never developed.  Too often people seeking to follow the Lord tie their faith to their emotions and to circumstances.  For example, it is very easy to commit to a particular ministry or church because of how great you find the people and the activities.   But what happens when you have to leave that ministry, or when some of the people or activities begin to disappoint you?  What then?  

Participating in a church or ministry, or hanging out exclusively with people who follow Jesus is not the same as having an intimate relationship with the Lord.  Because people often confuse this is why the faith of so many withers away.  Their attention is focused on the people and the activities rather than on the Lord.  Thus, they have no root to sustain them long-term.  For while involvement with great and fun people doing great and fun activities can be a good and enjoyable thing, it is no substitute for a growing, active relationship with the Lord. This is the only way our spiritual lives will be sustained over a lifetime.  

Today, think about your spiritual roots.  How deep are they really?  Even if you are involved in a great Christian community, it can never be a substitute for a growing relationship with the Lord.  It is only through Him that your spiritual roots can grow deep enough to sustain faithfulness throughout your life.

© Jim Musser 2015

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