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Choke Hold
We
must guard against things that can be barriers to our Christian
growth. The 3rd soil talked about in Luke 8 is the
seed that fell and that was infested with thorn seeds. When these
seeds sprouted and grew, the thorns eventually sapped the moisture
and nutrients the good seed needed to flourish and produce fruit.
Jesus called these thorns, “life’s worries, riches, and
pleasures.” It isn’t that difficult to name some of these
thorns that choke out Christian fruitfulness: greed, pride,
jealousy, and selfishness are just some of the few thorns that
can sprout and take root in a believer’s life.
The
devil knows us and knows what thorns to plant in individuals. The
devil often chooses to sow the seeds of things that in and of
themselves-are good, but the conditions that surround them may
squeeze out spiritual life. Such things as jobs, sports, school,
friends, and music may all be good in themselves, but given the
wrong priority or attention, they become the cares and concerns that
Jesus talked about. Whether the power to follow Christ is choked
off by self-interest or by the grip of other involvements, the
result is the same: a weak, unproductive Christian who struggles to
keep the slight glow of a relationship with God alive.
In Joshua chapter 7, we read about
a man named Achan who describes the 3rd soil in Luke.
Achan went
his own way -- instead of God's way. His sin was disobedience. He
tried a different way than God had instructed. He followed his own
plan instead of following God's plan. He tried to live a double life
which made him a hypocrite. Mankind comes up with many plans. But
unless they are God's plan, they are doomed to failure. It may seem
reasonable and right to us, but we are not God. We
should remember that.
The
consequences of sin for Christians living today are not generally as
brutal as they were for Achan. However, sin continues to have
negative results. Disobedient Christians cause problems for
themselves and for the Christians with whom they fellowship. We
can’t grow spiritually without weeding out the thorns that take our
focus off of Jesus. Unless kept in proper perspective, some of the
pleasures and values in our lives will slowly begin to put a
chokehold on positive things God wants from them. Weeds that once
seemed small & innocent can quickly cause spiritual lives to become
ineffective for God.
Jesus summed it up by saying,
“Where your treasure is; there your heart will be also.”
Unfortunately, many of us begin to treasure things of this world
instead of focusing on our affection for Christ. Sometimes it’s too
late when we discover that these are just temporary pleasures,
strands of sin that can destroy our walk even our lives, and they
keep us from experiencing the true riches found only in following
Christ. Don’t let the Devil get a choke hold on you.
-James |
