Getting Rid of Thorns
I have heard lots of encouraging comments from last Sunday's message on Jesus' power over Satan and his demons. For some, it was an eye opener about the world we live in and the enemy that hates us and seeks to steal, kill and destroy us. For others, it was an affirmation that we are living in dark times and that we as the church must stand firm in the face of the devil's fiery darts. I hope for all, it was a call to arms to make sure that we are ready for the spiritual warfare that inevitably comes our way, whether we recognize it or not. And the good news is, we have Jesus, in all His power and authority, on our side.
But one thing I did not mention on Sunday was one of the enemy's most subtle attacks in undermining our faith and keeping us from living out God's plan for our lives. Most would think that would probably be some kind of obvious sin. But in fact, it would be through the simple temptation to distraction.
In one of His most famous parables, Jesus compared our readiness to receive His word to different types of soil that seeds are planted in. Three of the soils seem pretty obvious to me. As the sower sows the seed, some of it lands on the hardened pathway and others on the rock, and simply from basic agriculture, we understand that they don't grow. Likewise, the other seeds land on good soil, which of course is the one that leads to bearing good fruit.
It's the other soil that has always intrigued me. That is the seed that fell among thorns, and Jesus compared that to those who hear, but "go on their way and are choked by the worries and riches and pleasures of life, and their fruit does not mature." In other words, it's not noticeable sin that gets in their way, it's the day to day distractions of real life: worries, and riches and pleasures. Those are the things that for us, if we let them, keep our seed from maturing spiritually and our lives from fruit-bearing.
Someone mentioned to me this week that their small group is studying through The Screwtape Letters, the classic novel written by C.S. Lewis. Actually, it is made up of 31 letters written by a mentoring uncle to his nephew. In case you haven't read it, in the novel Screwtape was actually a demon, one of Satan's "senior tempters" in fact, and he was writing to his apprentice tempter Wormwood. The letters offer meticulous strategy and scheming to make sure their subject, "the Patient," never fully develops as a Christian. And though those letters are not real, they are instructive to how easily we get sidetracked and neutralized in our walk with Christ.
What is the demon's suggestion for the most effective temptation to undermine the Christian and paralyze us spiritually? Is it blatant immorality? Dangling forbidden fruit of fleshly lusts before our eyes? Appealing to our pride? No, it is much more subtle and sly. The strategy, in a word: distraction. "You will find that anything, or nothing, is sufficient to attract his wandering attention," he writes.
Eighty years after Lewis gave us the "fictional" account of Screwtape and Wormwood and the Patient, we see the real life enemy busier than ever, distracting us, overloading us, and hurrying us in so many directions that the first thing we seem to neglect is our spiritual lives. Just as he planned.
The question I have is, what are the distractions that you are allowing into your life that keep you from the things that matter and stunt your growth as a disciple of Jesus? I said Sunday that some of us need a good spring cleaning to remove the sinful compromises that we have allowed into our lives that have given the devil an open door. Let's take that a step further. What things have you allowed in your life that are like the seed "among thorns," and are choking out your spiritual maturity and fruitfulness by way of subtle distraction? Is it the "worries, riches or pleasures" that you allow to consume your life? Or perhaps it's other time-wasters, like social media, or video games, or even sports?
Lent is winding down fast, with Easter just over a week away. But it's not too late for you to jump in and do a little self inventory of those things that distract you from fully following Jesus, and get rid of the thorns. I know Satan doesn't want you to simplify your life, but I promise you will never regret eliminating those unnecessary distractions and breaking up your fallow ground so that the seed the Lord plants in your life will grow and bear fruit, to His glory.
I am praying for you, and I look forward to seeing you on Sunday.
--Pastor Ken
