We have been studying the parable of the sower for months. Within this study we have looked at the first two types of soil and we are looking at the third: thorny weeds. Let’s get back to it this morning. Jesus said:
“Others are like the seed planted among the thorny weeds. They hear the teaching, but their lives become full of other things: the worries of this life, the love of money, and everything else they want. This keeps the teaching from growing, and it does not produce a crop in their lives.” (Mark 4:18,19)
Yesterday I shared a message entitled, “Simplify your life”, where I was discussing getting rid of the “other things”, so your life can be about God, His Word, His will, and His ways. Today’s message will flow in the same vein as I discussing decluttering your heart and mind.
So what does this mean to you today? Two things.
1. Just because you CAN do something, it does not mean you SHOULD give it access to your heart and mind.
a) The Apostle Paul said, “Everything is permissible for me”—but not everything is beneficial.” (1 Cor 6:12). If you allow yourself the “license” to consider something as a possibility for you, then it can wind up taking up valuable “cycles” in your heart and mind. Said another way, if you give a distraction your attention for 5 seconds, it can have your heart for 5 minutes. Even more dangerous, it you give a distraction your focus for any length of time, it is robbing you of your focus on the things God wants you focused on in the present.
b) God wants us to live in the moment. He wants us to be present in every moment, open to Him, ready to say and do whatever He leads us to. But you can’t do this if you allow yourself to be distracted by the enemy and/or selfish desires.
c) People with vision know what they are called to do and they live their lives with laser-focus on things that align with their divine purpose.
d) People with live a disciplined life. Their God-given vision constrains them and keeps them focused on their divine purpose. They don’t do lots of things. They only do what they believe they are called to do.
2. When you are singularly focused on your divine purpose you are able to declutter your heart and mind.
a) The problem with the thorny ground people, as Jesus describes it, is that they have too much stuff going on in their hearts and minds. While the Word is trying to work, their lives are “full of other things.” These “other things” compete with and eventually overtake the Word.
b) I have maintained a busy schedule for the last 20(+) years. I always have more task than time. I never stop working because I don’t have any work to do. I always stop working because I choose to stop working and ‘pick it up’ the next day. However, I purposely make time in my schedule to hear from God. I do this throughout the week and I block out entire weeks for this when I am on vacation. During this time I give myself the license to release every project, every major task, and every nagging thought from my mind. It is during these times — when I am free to simply rest, dream, and enjoy God’s goodness — that I often hear God the clearest and that His Word does the most work in my life. You have to make time to rid yourself of every distractor, to clear your heart and mind of all the clutter, and to slow down long enough to hear God. When you do, you will find His Word working in your life.
c) If you are too busy to give yourself at least 10 minutes a day to clear your heart and spend quality time with God, then you are simply too busy. If you don’t have 10 minutes, you don’t have a life.
Closing Confession:
Father, this is a season of expectation for me. My expectation is tied to Your Word and to the plans You made for me before the world began. There were a time in my life when I was consumed by “other things.” Those days are over. I make time to clear my heart and mind to be able to hear from You, and to allow Your Word to work in my life. I meditate and medicate on Your Word day and night. I rest in You and in Your promises towards me. I release all the stress, struggle and strain of this world. I give myself the license to dream, to meditate, to rest, and to focus on You and Your divine purpose for my life. As I enter this day, I also enter into Your rest. I declare this by faith! In Jesus’ name, Amen!
This is Today’s Word. Apply it and prosper!
