Make Bad Soil Better

Scripture: Those along the path are the ones who hear, and then the devil comes and takes away the word from their hearts, so that they may not believe and be saved. Those on the rocky ground are the ones who receive the word with joy when they hear it, but they have no root. They believe for a while, but in the time of testing they fall away.  The seed that fell among thorns stands for those who hear, but as they go on their way they are choked by life’s worries, riches and pleasures, and they do not mature. Luke 8:12-14

Observation: In the "parable of the sower", many Christians (including me) focus on the nature of the sower (depending on your perspective, either Jesus or any evangelical effort), and the 'good soil' (the place where the seed takes root and produces ... a.k.a. believers). However, Jesus gave us great information here about non-believers - seeds in the 'bad soils'. In fact, he have three very specific reasons why people DON'T believe when we tell them the good news about Jesus:

1) They are to some degree under the influence of Satan, with their hearts given to some sin that prevents even their desire for a relationship with God.

2) They get excited about the benefits of believing - they like the concept of eternal life - but never establish any real actual belief or understanding of the word of God.

3) They hear the truth, but they are simply too 'of the world' to incorporate faith into the their busy lives, and so they effectively ignore God.

Application: These are actionable issues!! How often have I spoken about Jesus to someone, and when they don't respond I don't know what to do next? Or I give the ol' "it's up to the Holy Spirit now" excuse? Or I think that maybe I didn't say the right words?

Instead ... could I help the person transform their 'soil'?

1) If this is a friend, perhaps I could speak truth to them about the harm of a specific issue/sin in their lives independent of a biblical teaching - talk about the harm it is doing them and their family - to remove a roadblock from their heart.

2) If they excitedly start attending church, I can get them into a bible study, small group, or some other form of study/accountability situation to help them get deeper quicker.

3) Depending on how well I know them, I could provide relief in their lives from business and stress ... anything from just being kind, to aiding them in some element of their life ... in order to calm their minds to focus on the message again.

Some of these aren't easy, especially #1. However, at least there is some guidance here.

Prayer: Lord, just yesterday I read something about how bad it is to gloss over "familiar" parts of the bible. This parable is one of those for me, and today you gave me fresh teaching. Thank you for your faithfulness and guidance and teaching - thank you for loving me enough to care about my growth!