The Author has consistently given me simple words to pray over that tend characterize a season of life I am in. My first year spent in the United Kingdom was characterized by the word cultivate. In a garden this means to prepare the ground to be planted in, and the definition changes little in the work that was being done. Soil needed to be cultivated for months in the hearts of the youth, in church, in schools work, and in my immediate community.
Storytelling is a cherished part of life to me, which is why the Parables of Jesus have always captivated me. He was always ready to tell a story that portrayed Biblical truths. They made His messages initially cryptic and eventually easy to understand when he elaborated. As I studied the Parable of the Soils in Mark 4 (also in Matthew 13 and Luke 8), I wanted to know what fruitful soil would be and how one cultivates it.
I looked into some helpful tips about ready soil:
- Soil should not be too dry or too wet. It should be composed of different sized crumbs that hold their shape under slight pressure. When this happens, the soil is porous and allows the free movement of water and oxygen, which will allow plants to develop strong, healthy roots.
- If the soil is compacted, the land needs to be tilled. The soil needs to be free enough to allow roots to grow and worms to move freely.
- Raymond Allmaras, a soil specialist, says, “If the soil isn’t easily worked, other problems have already been going on for a while.” Make sure that the soil isn’t resisting being worked with. If it is, it is not ready to be planted in.
- Finding things that creep and crawl is a good thing! The more fungi, bacteria, insects, and invertebrates present, the less opportunity for future pests and disease. In fact, they help make more nutrients for the plants.
Each of these tips seemed to have a spiritual truth behind them.
- The seed of the Gospel message needs to be planted in open hearts. I have found that hearts that are completely unfamiliar with the concept of Jesus (too dry) and hyper-religious Pharisees (too wet) will not allow the Gospel to plant strong roots. Whether the sandy soil allows the seed to be scorched by worldly opinions or the wet soil drowns out the grace of Jesus for the institution of religious practices, there is no room for the plant to grow.
- As the parable says, the soil cannot be hardened. If the soil of one’s heart is compacted, it will misinterpret the good news and exchange it for bitterness. I have seen this most often in people who have had negative experiences with Christians or the church in years previous. Tilling the soil often looks like spending time with these people without an agenda, having honest conversations, inviting them in to see the mess of my life and the overwhelming grace of God in it, and a lot of prayer.
- Simple: if the person says they do not want to hear what you have to say about Jesus, don’t say it or don’t be offended when that youth leaves your kids’ club before the God talk and returns after. Last year I often questioned, ‘Have I earned the right to speak into their lives yet?’ When a person opted out of a conversation about God or prayer, the answer was no.
- Questions about beliefs often look intimidating from the outside. They seem messy. They can even seem like ‘pests’ preventing faith from taking ground. Much like creepy crawly things in the soil, questions are a tell-tale sign of someone seeking truth. Instead of stamping ‘have faith’ for an answer to every question posed (although that may be an answer to some since our God is mysterious and wonderful) let’s try our best to look to the Word for a response… even if it does take a few weeks to get back to someone about it! If people are asking, they are surely ready to hear. Questions asked early on can help fight doubt in the future!
Naturally, one of these on their own may not show us whose heart will take the seed of the Gospel and allow it to root, but they can be signposts along the way in our relationships! Preparing soil takes time, and some patches of land are more ready initially than others. Let’s pray to be ready to give account to the work of Jesus in our lives; to share His truth; to pray for our friends, family, and people we have yet to meet.
I pray that this small lesson encourages you, but if not, at least you got some gardening tips!
(If you were curious, the word perspective has characterized the last six months, but that’s another blog in itself.)