Hold It fast

I don’t normally start writing one of these until I know exactly what I want to write about and how I want to write it. Today, however, I kinda have the what, but I’m not so sure about the how. Usually I would wait, but I felt the Lord’s encouragement to go ahead.

I’ve had these words swirling around in my head this week. Surrender, yield, and submit. I knew the Lord wanted me to write about them. Hence, the what. But honestly, I’ve not been really sure what He’s wanted me to say about them. It’s made me think that maybe in the process of writing, He will speak to my own heart as well. All of this to say, this could be interesting.

I picked up a book yesterday morning that my sister and I have been passing back and forth. One of us would read a chapter (or a little more), then pass it to the other person to read. I’m pretty sure it’s been my turn with the book for almost 2 months and it’s not a long book. I’m not a slow reader, so no, it hasn’t taken me 2 months to read one chapter. The truth is, I haven’t read any of the chapter I’m on. I’ve picked it up a couple times, but I’ve been so lost as to what the context is and I haven’t wanted to backtrack, so I just keep putting it back down.

What’s funny is, I remember telling my sister about this book. We were on a walk and I had read only one chapter. I was, in so many words, telling her how “life-changing” it was. That’s when we decided to read it together. Now, here I am not really remembering any of it.

As I was staring at this book yesterday, I suddenly thought of all the books I’ve read, the podcasts, sermons and even YouTube videos I’ve watched and listened to. So many of them have given me this same life-changing feeling. In the moment, they hit me so hard and I loved them so much to the point that I wanted to share them with anyone who would listen, and I wanted them to have the same feelings I had.

The feeling of finding the missing piece to the puzzle, I apparently was trying to solve. The answer to the problem and the question that hangs over me like dark cloud, the question of “What’s wrong?” This, this must the answer. This must be the way out of feeling like this, out of this thing I just can’t seem to get over.

But as the days continue on, the zeal fades and I am right back to searching for the answer again; in some other book, some other podcast, some other sermon or YouTube video. The search and the cycle (apparently) continues. The sad thing is, I even do this with scripture. I read it, it hits hard, I know God is speaking, but even so, I move on with my days and it too becomes a distant memory.

Is it just me?

It isn’t like this every time. There are moments, sermons, podcasts, books that have marked me for the rest of my life. They are things the Lord has truly used to grow me. But, even reflecting on those things right now, I see how few they are in comparison to the amount of material I actually engorge myself with, again with the posture of searching.

All of these things I’m speaking of are good things. We aren’t even talking about the things I indulge in for entertainment.

This overconsumption makes me feel like I have control over my growth. Sure, I can spit off scripture and even give the interpretation I’ve heard to make it sound like I know what I’m talking about. Of course, I can give you a line I heard from a sermon or read from a book that makes it sound like I have all this wisdom applied to my own life.

Do I have God-stories? I do. Do I have things God has taught me or given me revelation to? I do. Am I growing in Him? Yes. But I think I’m a lot smaller of a plant than I realize.

A couple months ago, I read the parable of the sower and it was one of those moments, when I was clearly eating from the feast the Lord had placed in front of me, rather than a meal I was trying to cook for myself, because what I noticed hit me upside the head and then stayed with me. We looked at this scripture a while back in the blog titled Slow and Steady, but I feel like the Lord has opened my eyes to even more in it. So let’s look at it.

“And when a great crowd was gathering, and people from town after town came to Him, He said in a parable, ‘A sower went out to sow his seed. And as he sowed, some fell along the path and was trampled underfoot, and the birds of the air devoured it. And some fell on the rock and as it grew up, it withered away, because it had no moisture. And some fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up with it and choked it. And some fell into good soil and grew and yielded a hundredfold.’ As He said these things, he called out. ‘He who has ears, let him hear.’

And when His disciples asked Him what this parable meant, He said, ‘To you it has been given to know the secrets of the kingdom of God, but for others they are in parables, so that ‘seeing they may not see, and hearing they may not understand.’ Now the parable is this: The seed is the Word of God. The ones along the path are those who have heard; then the devil comes and takes away the Word from their hearts, so they may not believe and be saved. And the ones on the rock are those who, when they hear the Word, receive it with joy. But these have no root; they believe for a while, and in time of testing fall away. And as for what fell among the thorns, they are those who hear, but as they go on their way they are choked by the cares and riches and pleasures of life, and their fruit does not mature. 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.”

Normally, one would stop here, but actually Jesus’s keeps talking. So let’s keep reading.

“No one after lighting a lamp covers it with a jar or puts it under a bed, but puts it on a stand, so that those who enter may see the light. For nothing is hidden that will not be made manifest, nor is anything in secret that will not be known and come to the light. Take care then how you hear, for the one who has, more will be given, and from the one who has not, even what he thinks that he has will be taken away.’

Then His mother and brothers came to Him, but they could not reach Him because of the crowd. And He was told, ‘Your mother and Your brothers are standing outside, desiring to see You.’ But He answered them, ‘My mother and my brothers are those who hear the Word of God and do it.’” —Luke 8:4-21

Now I tried to highlight some things that jumped out to me, but let’s talk through them.

It sticks out to me that the path, rock, thorns and good soil, all have a different way of hearing and what they do after hearing.

• Path- ”have heard” – devil comes and takes the Word away from their hearts.
• Rock- “when they hear the Word” – receive it with joy. No root. Believe for a while. Time of testing fall away.
• Thorns- “those who hear” – as they go on their way they are choked by the cares, riches and pleasures of life.
• Good Soil- “hearing the Word” – hold it fast in an honest and good heart. Bear fruit with patience.

Ok, isn’t it interesting the tenses Jesus uses here. Every single one of them hears the Word and then something happens. But notice what He says as He continues with the parable of lighting the lamp. “Take care then how you hear.” The goal isn’t just hearing. It’s how you hear and what you do with it.

Then He even continues when His mother and brothers show up, “My mother and my brothers are those who hear the Word of God and then do it.” We serve a patient God my friends. He is really hammering His point home.

I don’t know about you, but I don’t think I hear well. In all honesty, I think my overconsumption sounds very similar to the thorns that choke out. I’m not holding anything fast. I’m chasing the dopamine hit, the life-changing feeling that makes me feel like I’ve found the answer to my problem.

Surrender, yield, submit.

There’s those words again.

Isn’t it interesting that all three of these words pretty much mean the exact same thing? To give up control.

Remember, I said the reason for my overconsumption is because it makes me feel like I have control over my growth. As if I am the one producing the fruit.

However, the truth is, the life-changing answer is only found in obedience. Hearing the Word and holding it fast. Not letting it go in one ear and out the other. Grabbing hold of it with resolve. Sitting with it long enough that something in my heart shifts and asking the Lord, “What would you have me do with this?” Waiting, listening and then by all means, Kristen, doing it.

Thinking back on all the moments that were truly life-changing, heart shifting moments, they were the ones when I surrendered to His best, yielded to His voice and submitted to His ways. They were all marked by some kind of obedience to Him and they were better than I could have ever done on my own.

Your encouragement for this week:

First of all, slow down. Stop trying to grow yourself by constantly consuming things. Take care then how you hear. Letting it sink into your heart. Chew on it. Ask the Lord “What would you have me do with this?” Knowing and trusting Him that as you do, He will patiently grow fruit in you. The answer to the problem is Jesus, Himself and it’s only found in obedience to what He says; hearing the Word of God and Holding It Fast.