Beware the Thorns

Do you like gardening? To be honest, I’m not that keen. Don’t get me wrong, I like having a bit of outdoor space to call my own; but the upkeep that goes with it, not so much! I don’t mind mowing. I find that quite satisfying. But weeding? I just find it frustrating. No matter how hard I try to clear the weeds and thorns, they just keep coming back!

So, when Jesus told the parable of the sower, I’m pretty sure the audience would have been right with Him as He described the different outcomes that the sown seed might experience. And the reality is that seed sown among thorns is really up against it. Those thorns just keep coming back.

So, what were the ‘thorns’ that Jesus described, that might hinder the seed, the word of God, bearing fruit? As Jesus explains the parable to His disciples, He lists three in particular: the worries of this life, the deceitfulness of wealth and the desires for other things (Mark 4:18). In other words, these are the very things in our lives that are going to keep coming at us that are more than likely to choke the work of God in our lives if we don’t keep clearing them away.

Firstly, the worries of this life. Let’s be honest, life is full of worries for most, if not all of us. We worry about our health, we worry about our loved ones. We might even worry if we don’t have something we’re worried about. Yet Jesus says, “Do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or what you will wear” (Matthew 6:25). And “who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?” (Matthew 6:27). And, of course, it’s true. Worrying doesn’t make anything better. It just absorbs us in a fruitless task. Instead, Jesus gives a more fruitful way. “But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well” (Matthew 6:33). If we don’t want to let the worries of the world stifle our fruitfulness for God, we need to tirelessly put Jesus first and place ourselves over and over again into His care.

Secondly, the deceitfulness of wealth. We may well think that if we only had a little bit more, more income, more savings, more money behind us, we’ll be fine. But however much people have, there is always a pull towards wanting more. So dangerous is the false security that money offers that Jesus warned, “No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will hold to one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money” (Matthew 6:24). The pull is towards putting our trust in something other than God and that’s the route to a fruitless life.

Finally, Jesus mentions the desires for other things. We are bombarded with advertisements each and every day of our lives. Experts don’t agree on exactly how many, but estimates range between a few hundred and a few thousand adverts are heading our way each day, each designed to tempt us to break the tenth commandment. But the Bible encourages us to seek godliness with contentment as great gain in our lives (1 Timothy 6:6).

So, if you’re seeking to be fruitful, don’t let these thorns stifle the growth. The garden of your life is one place you can’t afford to let the thorns grow!