by Prisca | 17 July 2018 08:46 am07
To bear fruit for God, every Christian must go through a spiritual journey of growth. Jesus explained this journey using the Parable of the Sower, which illustrates four stages that every believer must encounter. Let’s explore these stages as found in:
“And great crowds gathered about him, so that he got into a boat and sat down. And the whole crowd stood on the beach. And he told them many things in parables, saying: ‘A sower went out to sow. And as he sowed, some seeds fell along the path, and the birds came and devoured them. Other seeds fell on rocky ground, where they did not have much soil, and immediately they sprang up, since they had no depth of soil, but when the sun rose they were scorched. And since they had no root, they withered away. Other seeds fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked them. Other seeds fell on good soil and produced grain, some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. He who has ears, let him hear.’”
This parable is not just about farming it is about our hearts, and how we receive and respond to the Word of God. It represents the stages of spiritual development in a Christian’s life from the moment they hear the Gospel.
At the beginning of your walk with God, you hear the Word perhaps for the first time and there is a stirring in your heart. You’re curious, you want to understand more, you feel a longing for truth. But in this early stage, the Word may not yet take root deeply because you haven’t fully grasped its meaning.
Jesus explains this stage further:
“When anyone hears the word of the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what has been sown in his heart. This is what was sown along the path.”
If the Word isn’t nurtured with understanding and spiritual hunger, the enemy (Satan) steals it away. That’s why some profess Christianity outwardly but show no inner transformation. They attend church, sing in choirs, even say they are “born again,” yet they have no passion, no spiritual fruit, and no deeper relationship with God.
Key truth: The Word must be sought with spiritual hunger, or else it will not last. Let your desire to understand God increase, and allow the Holy Spirit to draw you further.
When a believer overcomes the first stage and begins to receive the Word with joy, the journey doesn’t become easier it becomes tested.
“As for what was sown on rocky ground, this is the one who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy, yet he has no root in himself, but endures for a while, and when tribulation or persecution arises on account of the word, immediately he falls away.”
In this stage, your faith is tested through trials rejection, hardship, spiritual opposition. God allows these trials to refine and establish you. Every true believer must walk this path. Jesus Himself endured suffering, and He calls us to follow Him:
“If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.”
Sadly, many abandon the faith when things become difficult. They started with zeal but lacked endurance. Let this not be your story. Stand firm, and trust that the trials are proof of your growth, not your failure.
If you press on through the trials, you face another test: worldly distraction. At this stage, Satan shifts tactics. Instead of direct opposition, he uses temptation, wealth, busyness, and pleasure to choke your spiritual life.
“As for what was sown among thorns, this is the one who hears the word, but the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and it proves unfruitful.”
Many Christians lose their way here not because of persecution, but because of comfort. They replace time with God with business meetings, social media, or the pursuit of success. They cool down spiritually and stop bearing fruit, even though they may still appear “active” in church.
Jesus reminds us:
“But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.”
Let nothing steal your time with God. Don’t let your spiritual fire be dimmed by the distractions of this world.
This is the goal to become good soil, where the Word of God takes deep root and produces lasting fruit.
“As for that in the good soil, they are those who, hearing the word, hold it fast in an honest and good heart, and bear fruit with patience.”
Reaching this stage is not instant. It requires perseverance through all previous stages—the confusion of the path, the trials of the rocks, and the distractions of the thorns. But those who endure will be refined like gold, becoming mature in Christ and ready for God’s purpose.
“Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life.”
A believer in this stage bears fruit thirty, sixty, or a hundredfold according to the grace and calling of God upon their life.
This parable challenges us to reflect:
Which stage are you in?
Are you on the path, struggling to understand the Word?
Are you on rocky ground, going through trials?
Are you among thorns, distracted by life and wealth?
Or are you in good soil, bearing fruit with endurance?
“The one who conquers, I will grant him to sit with me on my throne, as I also conquered and sat down with my Father on his throne.”
Let us press on together toward maturity, praying daily for the power of the Holy Spirit to guide us, strengthen us, and prepare us to bear lasting fruit for the glory of God.
Lord, help me to overcome every obstacle be it misunderstanding, trials, or worldly distractions so that I may bear fruit for Your Kingdom. Strengthen me by Your Spirit and help me grow into good soil, ready to fulfill Your purpose for my life. Amen.
God bless you. Stay steadfast. Keep growing. And may your life bear much fruit for the Lord.
Source URL: https://wingulamashahidi.org/en/2018/07/17/how-can-we-bear-fruit-for-god/
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