YVDev 211123
I, the Lord , search the heart, I test the mind, Even to give every man according to his ways, According to the fruit of his doings. Jeremiah 17:10
Accepting Jesus (or “starting a relationship with Jesus” or “inviting Jesus into your life” or “becoming a Christian”) is not the same thing as following Jesus. It’s just the first step in a lifetime of steps.
Sadly, some people never move past accepting Jesus. They say “yes” to his forgiveness, enjoy the moment, and then set it aside. Maybe they think “following Jesus” is like following someone on social media, which is totally passive. All you need to do is click a link, swipe a screen, or confirm a request.
But following Jesus requires us to be actively and intentionally connected to him personally. We can’t just check in now and then, or mute his updates or ignore the notifications. We need to make time to be with him, to listen to him, to learn about him, and to learn from him.
Human hearts are like soil. Things grow there – thoughts, ideas, and attitudes. Some of the things that grow are good. Some aren’t. Even in the most beautiful gardens, weeds grow and need to be pulled so the good plants can be healthy. And even in the rockiest places, where there’s no dirt to be seen, trees and other plants find ways to grow. But they can’t survive heavy storms, and they won’t grow tall and strong without deep roots.
Heart “soil” can change. Hard and rocky hearts can be transformed into gentle and loving hearts. Dry and dusty hearts can be changed into joyful and kind hearts. Weedy hearts can be changed into clean and pure hearts.
We can’t change our hearts on our own. Only God can make that kind of change, which he promises to do if we give up control and trust Him to work in our lives.
THINK ABOUT THIS
What things might cause a heart to be rocky? shallow? filled with weeds and thorns?
What needs to change about the “soil” of your heart?
Even healthy soil needs tending – weeding, fertilizing, mulching, etc. How do you tend the soil of your heart? What tending do you still need?
Luke 8:11-15
“Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of God. Those by the wayside are the ones who hear; then the devil comes and takes away the word out of their hearts, lest they should believe and be saved. But the ones on the rock are those who, when they hear, receive the word with joy; and these have no root, who believe for a while and in time of temptation fall away. Now the ones that fell among thorns are those who, when they have heard, go out and are choked with cares, riches, and pleasures of life, and bring no fruit to maturity. But the ones that fell on the good ground are those who, having heard the word with a noble and good heart, keep it and bear fruit with patience.
Jesus said, “A good tree can’t produce bad fruit, and a bad tree can’t produce good fruit. A tree is identified by its fruit”. He’s talking about people, not trees. And “fruit” symbolizes our thoughts, attitudes, and actions.
“Good fruit” are things like love, joy, peace, patience, honesty, kindness, goodness, justice, gentleness, faithfulness, and self-control.
“Bad fruit” are things like selfishness, pride, greed, anger, envy, gossip, unkindness, and hatred.
As we follow Jesus and grow closer to him, his Spirit living in us will help us produce more and more good fruit, and less and less bad fruit. The changes in thoughts, attitudes, and actions will continue for a person’s whole life because God is never done teaching us, shaping us, encouraging us, and transforming us into the person he created us to be – someone who consistently loves him and loves others.
For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long-suffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. Galatians 5:17-23
