Thinking About Dirt

So, yesterday I commented that I was wondering about racism and what kinds of soil a racist would be, thinking on Mark 4:10-20.

Again, with racism, the problem is one of PRIDE, the worst of all sin before God, because through pride you are trying to define yourself as God and your beliefs as being one with God.  And, well, you are not God and God's thoughts are so far beyond  your own that your sin should immediately be obvious to you ... if you were a Christian.  Your attempts to elevate yourself in others eyes, by putting down a class or race of people, just does not bode well within Christianity.  Welcome to the pagan christian faith of America.  Though prejudice and racism is a worldwide problem within the Christian faith.  And well, if your heart and mind are set against the very people God would have you reach out to ... hmmmm, I wonder what God would do, if you were His?

I think back to a cold evening in Seattle, in my college days, some Dutch lady named Corrie Ten Boom was speaking.  I listened to her testimony and later spoke with her at length in private.  I had a problem with some of the things she had said.  And we discussed in depth about her learning to drop her hostility and hatred for Germans - to be able to see them as people whom God needed to reach as well.  Very moving.  God had showed her the sin that separated her from Him.  She could have clung to her hatred and prejudice, but by choosing to conform to God's ways, she became a powerful tool for Him to use, for His ends and the salvation of quite a few people, even Germans!

Across decades of being a Christian whom knows his sin before God, yeah its pride, I can tell you it is subtle.  Try as I may it is so hard not to fall into the pit of believing you are smarter, when you are!  And knowing you were created smarter than the average, you believe that your input is important and others is something that should not even be communicated when it is so embarrassing!  Pride, yeah, not what God whats in my heart, mind or on my lips.

So, though I may have an intelligence prejudice problem, God keeps me mighty humble through the often failures of my body.  I see the balancing act He does in my life and I do appreciate it!  Because, left a lone, which is what I used to prefer, I can manage quite nicely without anyone in my life!  Except, I need people now for help.  Gotta get that on my To Do List - find new friends ...  sigh ...

But back to yesterday's idea.

There Are Different Kinds of Soil
Not all dirt is the same.
Not all dirt is equal.
If dirt is the example of receptiveness to the Gospel to the human heart in these verses,
Then consider what Jesus tells us, that only one type of dirt is ready for the Gospel and to accept it.
So, the dirt, which has been prepared by God, is the one where the Gospel can take root and grow.

See People Within The Moment
We do not possess the knowledge to know whom to tell about the Gospel to.
We could save a great deal of time, money, frustration, if we did!
But, God wants the entire world to hear His message, not just the chosen few!
Just because someone will not listen today, does not mean they will not suddenly understand tomorrow.
That understanding is part of the ministry of the Holy Spirit.
And events, such as a close death, make people stop for a moment and think about reality.
God's truth will change people - there is always a reaction to it, even if it is rejection.

Inspect Your Own Dirt
Our job is not to inspect, grade, judge, etc someone else's dirt.
Are you productive or unproductive soil for God?
Or are you too busy?
Or investing in yourself and not God's desires?
Have you become the compressed hard-pan dirt and non productive?
Are you the rocky dirt, destined to be superficial and too busy?
Perhaps you are he crowded garden, where self interest chokes out what God could be doing?

Keep Your Dirt Ready
Keep yourself before God.
Invest in His ways.
If it benefits you, it probably is not going to be what God wanted.
No excuses here!
Your soil needs to be kept tilled, watered, weeded, always ready for God to plant more seed!
You are supposed to be His, serving Him, constantly learning obedience.
You possess the Holy Spirit, if you are a Christian, and do not need to be told what to do.
God is a big boy, He will tell you, if you are receptive, exactly what you should be doing.

Listen, confirm through knowledge of the Scripture, then act!
(and that assumes you know and understand the Bible's message!)