“Place my yoke over your shoulders, and learn from me, because I am gentle and humble. Then you will find rest for yourselves because my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” –Jesus
Matthew 11:29-30 GW
As we wrapped up our podcast series on spiritual growth, exploring our hearts as a field based on the Parable of the Sower in Luke 8, we focused on GOOD soil. What it looks like and how we cultivate it.
But there is one area of the process in need of re-emphasis. The idea… necessity… of surrendering to God.
The business of cultivating a heart of good soil to produce godly fruit is made more difficult (impossible really) when we rely on our own understanding. Beginning with thinking we understand the definition of “GOOD,”
Early in my walk with God, I realized GOOD was one of the words I would have to redefine. Or I should say, allow God to define it. Because when ALL things work together for GOOD for those who love God and are called according to His purpose (Romans 8:28) then… well… ANYTHING can be GOOD. Or be used for GOOD in God’s hands.
Truly we do not have the ability to judge what is GOOD… or BAD for that matter. Eating the forbidden fruit — what came from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil — caused us to believe we could discern and judge. But the reality is, only God can do that.
Instead of trusting in God — who said, “Don’t eat.” — we ate and blurred all the lines. Because the ultimate GOOD is to let God be God and do what He says.
So when it comes to cultivating the field of our heart as GOOD soil, the first thing we must do is accept we have no idea what we’re doing. Our role is to surrender to Father, Son, and Holy Spirit for guidance and direction in cleaning up the mess we made.
We do not take it upon ourselves to decide what GOOD works we do. God defined that for each of us from before the Beginning (Ephesians 2:10). Our judgement is skewed when it comes to good and evil. right and wrong. what needs to go and what needs to stay. Relying on our own understanding is what gets us into trouble.
It is the things that are right and noble and good from the natural standpoint that keep us back from God’s best. To discern that natural virtues antagonize surrender to God, is to bring our soul into the centre of its greatest battle.
Oswald Chambers, My Utmost for His Highest, December 9
Sanctification — pursuing holiness — through spiritual disciplines, serving, and obedience is a work to do alongside Jesus under the direction of the Father in the power of Holy Spirit. When we don’t, we find ourselves in a battle of wills and wondering why the GOOD we think is GOOD isn’t working out and only seems BAD!
Surrender to God’s Word:
“My thoughts are not your thoughts, and my ways are not your ways,” declares the Lord. “Just as the heavens are higher than the earth, so my ways are higher than your ways, and my thoughts are higher than your thoughts.”
Isaiah 55:8-9 GW
Learn to hear Him.
Obey Him.
Leave all judgements and outcomes to Him.
Only God makes things grow.
“Rain and snow come down from the sky. They do not go back again until they water the earth. They make it sprout and grow so that it produces seed for farmers and food for people to eat. My word, which comes from my mouth, is like the rain and the snow. It will not come back to me without results. It will accomplish whatever I want and achieve whatever I send it to do.”
Isaiah 55:10-11 GW
Want to grow in the grace and knowledge of Jesus?
Listen to Him…
Featured Image Photo by Ma Ti on Unsplash
Stay on the Path Photo by Mark Duffel on Unsplash
If you haven’t yet, listen to the Heart of Good Soil podcast here:
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Unraveled Love 
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