DO YOU HAVE THORNS?

by Hallie Gipson

Luke 8:4-15

“When a large crowd was coming together, and those from the various cities were journeying to Him, He spoke by way of a parable: “The sower went out to sow his seed; and as he sowed, some fell beside the road, and it was trampled under foot and the birds of the air ate it up. Other seed fell on rocky soil, and as soon as it grew up, it withered away, because it had no moisture. Other seed fell among the thorns; and the thorns grew up with it and choked it out. Other seed fell into the good soil, and grew up, and produced a crop a hundred times as great.” His disciples began questioning Him as to what this parable meant. And He said . . . “Now the parable is this: the seed is the word of God. Those beside the road are those who have heard; then the devil comes and takes away the word from their heart, so that they will not believe and be saved. Those on the rocky soil are those who, when they hear, receive the word with joy; and these have no firm root; they believe for a while, and in time of temptation fall away. The seed which fell among the thorns, these are the ones who have heard, and as they go on their way they are choked with worries and riches and pleasures of this life, and bring no fruit to maturity. But the seed in the good soil, these are the ones who have heard the word in an honest and good heart, and hold it fast, and bear fruit with perseverance.”

In the passage above, Jesus was teaching a large crowd and using a parable, as he often did, so those listening would understand. He used the analogy of a ‘sower’ –- a farmer –- and what happened as the seed he was sowing fell on different types of soil. As Jesus explained to His disciples in vs. 12, “the seed is the word of God” and “Those beside the road are those who have heard”.

If we claim Christ as our Savior, we can consider ourselves “good soil” because we “have heard the word in an honest and good heart, and hold it fast, and bear fruit with perseverance.” But does that mean we are free of thorns? Oh, we may not have the thorns of unbelief, or yield to temptation because we are not firmly rooted in Christ, but I believe we do have thorns. They are not because we have heard the word and gone on our way without believing, but rather because we have allowed the devil to use the “worries and riches and pleasure of this life” to keep us from bearing “fruit with perseverance.”

As I listed the words worries, riches, and pleasures, I identified what each of those words mean for me. It was a fill in the blank exercise, if you will. And it was convicting, to say the least, to realize what ‘thorns’ I have allowed to grow in my garden!

•  What do I worry about even though God tells me in Matthew 6:25 “do not be worried about your life”?
•  What are the ‘riches’ that become my focus when God says in Matthew 6:16 “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth . . . but store up for yourselves treasure in heaven”? 
• What pleasures do I think I have earned the right to enjoy when I live as if I have forgotten that “Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shifting shadow.”?  James 1:17

Am I suggesting that Christians adopt a ‘c’est la vie’ (that’s life) attitude, quit planning wisely for the future, and live on bread and water? Certainly not!!

But I have recognized how subtly thorns creep in, even in the life of a Christian. One minute, we are a lush, green garden --- the sweet-smelling aroma of the life of Christ to all around us. The next thing we know, that same garden is over-grown with weeds and thorny bushes that have choked out our love for God’s word, kept us from pressing on to maturity in Christ, and stunted once-fruitful ministries.

The questions I have asked myself are: How does it happen? How do I get the weeds under control? And, how do I prevent thorns from returning?

The Enemy is often-times subtle, and before we know it, we have allowed worries, riches, and pleasures to over-take us. Because the thorns did not appear over-night, I believe weeding them out and preventing them from returning is an on-going process that starts with a steady diet of God’s word, prayer, and thanksgiving for His great and abundant provision for us. 

As His word takes firm root in our hearts and minds, the thorns and weeds are replaced with the truths of Who God is. As we submit to God in prayer, we will “be strengthened with power through His Spirit in the inner man, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; and that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled up to all the fullness of God.”  Ephesians 3:14-19

Holy Father, search my heart and reveal to me the thorns and weeds in my life. I desire to once again be that green, lush, sweet-smelling garden that displays God’s glory for everyone to see. May I “Rejoice always; pray without ceasing; in everything give thanks; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”  1 Thessalonians 1:17-18