Slideshow image

 

This morning I was reading 
the parable of the Sower and the Seed... 
Different kinds of soil 
different results... 
removal  
or loss
or unfruitful 'word of God' 
in people's lives   

But the last 'group' 
was good soil  
and it brought forth fruit... 
some 30x  
some 60x 
and some 100x ref Mk 4:3-20   

Yup.
Read that before....
Good soil
more fruit...

But then I asked
What's the fruit?

Wow.
Assumptions....
I always thought it was
'souls',
conversions,
people brought to the Lord
by me.....
fertile soil....

or the reverse assumption as well...
I haven't brought very many people to the Lord
I must not be
'good soil'....

Hmm... interesting....
Wonder how long I have had that thought
shaping my identity....?

Jesus tells me that the 'seed'
is the "word of God" ref Lk 8:11
and that it is the "word of God"
that is
- taken away,
- not sustained,
- choked out
or - reproduced in people's lives

Assumption:
reproduction = planting seed in other's lives =
people getting 'converted'...

Hmmm...
then my mind immediately went to another
scripture....
The Fruits of the Spirit....

Gal 5:22 But the fruit
of the Spirit is
love,
joy,
peace,
patience,
kindness,
goodness,
faithfulness,
23 gentleness
and self-control.
Against such things there is no law.

Paul is painting a picture of what a life
controlled by the Spirit 'looks like'....

Funny he never mentions that
conversions are one of the fruits....

In fact I suspect that 'souls saved' is a fruit... of the Fruit!
a byproduct of a life of given over the the Spirit.

NOT a measurement
of whether I am 'good soil'
or not....

Wow,

Lord Jesus,
I am surprised
at how this 'performance' assumption
has formed my thoughts around
what a 'good soil Christian' looks like...

I know this stuff,
Yet You have reminded me
that You are the Vine
and I just need to be the branch
attached
feeding from the vine
available to be pruned.

and I will bear fruit.
Love, joy, peace.....
and some may come to you too....

Abiding
Your Word, growing
multiplying....
Fruit.
Thank You
Jesus.

PJ