He shared about four types of soil in his parable of the sower. The fourth soil is described as the only one that bears fruit. Bearing fruit means living transformed lives and leading others to follow Christ.
God has greater ideas in mind for our lives than we do. As we connect to God we can begin to discover our unlimited potential to touch the lives of other people.
Many of us live as defined by our limitations. These limitations are imposed upon us by others or adopted by us. Our future is limited by what others tell us and what we begin to believe about ourselves. As a result, we live “normal” and mediocre lives, unable or perhaps unwilling to experience life at our full capacity. According to Jesus, we were created with unlimited potential in the area of spiritual influence. Our fears, weaknesses, past mistakes, regrets, and background cannot keep us from impacting others in dramatic ways.
In the parable of the soils, Jesus shared how we can become who He intends for us to be – people of expansive influence. We can become the good soil bearing tremendous fruit. In the Scriptures, the word “fruit” is used to describe the “fruit of the Spirit” – a change in our character. “Fruit” also refers to the lives that we have impacted. We were created to experience this type of dramatic personal transformation and to be a part of helping others transform as well.
We can experience a life beyond our wildest imagination when we maximize who we were created to be. Applying the principles Jesus shared in describing the four types of soils, we can become fruitful (a.k.a. creative, generative, and productive).
Jesus’ parable points out that we struggle to become who we were created to be when we fail in any of the following areas: hearing God’s voice, overcoming the trials we face, overcoming the temptations that distract us, or doing what we know we ought to do.
So which soil are you? What has kept you from experiencing this kind of fruitful life?
Soils
Hardened -> Vulnerable
Shallow —-> Deep
Thorny —-> Clear
Desolate —> Fruitful
To avoid these pitfalls, we can discover our God-given destiny by developing 4 skills. Becoming who we were created to be means we need to become receptive, tenacious, intentional, and proactive.
Soils Skills
Hardened -> Vulnerable Receptive (Overcoming Silence)
Shallow —-> Deep Tenacious (Overcoming Trials)
Thorny —-> Clear Intentional (Overcoming Temptations)
Desolate —> Fruitful Proactive (Overcoming Rebellion)
In the story of the soils, Jesus describes the first soil and how we can learn to discern God’s voice in our lives when we develop a posture of receptivity. We can move from a hardened heart to a vulnerable one and overcome spiritual silence by distinguishing God’s voice from among the crowd and from among our own.
Do you have ears to hear? Do you want to hear from God? Have you ever felt God’s guidance?
So often, the idea of hearing from God is associated with people who are mentally ill or people claiming to know the date for the end of the world.
