The soil of your heart

What type of soil do you have in your backyard garden? Rocky, clay, thorny? Any avid gardener can tell you there won’t be much of a harvest without the right kind of soil. Well-tended gardens produce the best results because the soil where seeds begin their growth needs to be fertilized, conditioned, and hydrated with nutrients. It’s a no brainer, right?

In the Parable of the Sower in Matthew 13: 3-9, Jesus describes the four types of soil representing the condition of people’s hearts when first hearing his word. Unfortunately, the seed of his word that falls by the wayside or in stony or thorny ground never receives the proper nourishment necessary for growth, and one’s spiritual garden suffers as a result. After a scorching sun or a blustery wind, the sprout withers or is uprooted at the first signs of stress.

Whether one plants seeds in an outdoor garden or in the soil of one’s heart, the same ingredients apply. In order to grow in sanctification as a Christian, the seed of the Word of God needs to reside in receptive, nourished soil. One where the Holy Spirit is alive and quickened and heard above the fray… one where the aim is to apply God’s principles and doctrines in an effort to “work out our salvation in fear and trembling” (Philippians 2:12)… and one where we desire to glorify God above self.