We Won't Be Good Soil Until We Believe That We Are
The first three types of soil, or people, that Jesus describes in the "Parable of the Sower" are all explained as types of soil that don't produce a crop. Jesus explains that the soil is either too rocky, to shallow, or full of thorns. All of which, will eventually keep the seed from producing a crop.
There is a fourth soil that Jesus talks about in this parable.
The fourth soil is simply referred to as "good soil." Jesus explains that seed scattered on good soil will ultimately "produce a crop—some thirty, some sixty, some a hundred times what was sown." Traditionally, when I have heard someone preach or write about this parable, I have seen it as an opportunity to analyze my my own soil. I would question my heart, and whether or not I was doing all of the right things to position it to receive God's word. In my mind, this story always sounded like a rebuke or criticism. I would usually determine that I was not producing enough of a crop, so I would start working out what I needed to do to become good soil.
Lately, this story has sounded a little different to me...
Every time that I have read it or heard it talked about, I have heard the Holy Spirit saying, "You are good soil." It has ushered in a new perspective into my thinking. If this whole Christian life is really about faith and not about works, then why would I think that I somehow have to struggle and strive to till myself up into good soil. Why wouldn't it all start with just BELIEVING that I am good soil, simply because the blood of Jesus has redeemed me?
Continue Reading: BELIEVE! »
The amazing thing is that as I have started to believe that I am good soil, as I have started to write that down and speak that over my life, I have noticed more of a crop being produced through my life. I have noticed much more of a willingness to step out of my comfort zone to love people. I have noticed more of a willingness to be obedient to the things God is calling me to do.The question popped into my head, "Who wants me to believe that I am good soil, and who wants me believing that I am not good soil?" That is when the light bulb went off. Jesus came and died so that I could be good soil! He gave His life, because He saw the potential of my life to bear a harvest for His Kingdom. He wouldn't have died on that cross for me if He did not believe that I was soil that could produce a crop. The same is true for every person reading this post, because He died for you too!
[easy-tweet tweet="Jesus died for me and you because He knew that we are capable of producing good soil." via="no" usehashtags="no"]
The thief is the one who wants to steal that identity from me and make me think that I am something less. The enemy is the one who wants me thinking that I am shallow, rocky, or full of thorns. If he gets me believing that, then he knows that is what will happen. If I don't believe that I am good soil, then why would I even bother planting seed? And if I don't believe that I can produce a crop, then what is the point? We can't be good soil unless we first BELIEVE that we are. We won't believe that we are until we see our created value and understand the price that Heaven paid to redeem us.Are you a believer? Have you laid down your life to become a disciple of Jesus Christ? Have you been born again of the Spirit of God?
If so, then you ARE good soil.
Our life will produce a crop. Let's all start by believing that, and just watch how it transforms our lives and ushers in the Kingdom of Heaven every where that we go!