Daily Archives: 18th August 2022

End Times, Life's Journey, Purpose and Meaning, Relationship

Discipleship and Spiritual Apathy (Part2 of 3)

Leave a comment

This post is partially extracted from the video link – https://youtu.be/lpiQdRd9DSc and blended with personal insights. The video is about Getting into Word to produce disciples of Christ, Part 1.

The video draws upon the parable of the Sower to expand on the nature and issues of spiritual apathy that is poison to the goal of being the discipleship of the Lord Jesus.

Mat13 – 1-15 Parable of the Sower is in the category of a Kingdom Parable is a foundational parable to understand all other parables. This parable draws attention to the heart condition of the believer in His Kingdom. Many view the parable of the Sower as relevant to the unbelieving world- but why would this parable of the Kingdom, where only believers can qualify to be Kingdom citizens, be directed to non-citizens unbelievers?

I am not saying there is no application for unbelievers, but the context of Mat13 appears to indicate its relevance for believers.

The parable in a nutshell-

  1. The Setting of the parable – About the Kingdom of God
  2. The Story – A Sower sowing the same seed in 4 types of ground (heart condition)- impenetrably hard by the wayside, the shallow rocky soil, the soil where thorns grow, and the good soil.
  3. The Significance – To teach the truth about the heart condition as foundational to spiritual growth and maturity.

 

Three existential reality shapes the heart dictating one’s response to the word of God. They are the deceived, discouraged and distracted hearts.

  1. The reality of one’s life pursuits- beware of the fallacy of pride that can hijack the life pursuit. This represents the hardness of the unconverted heart (along the hardened wayside), hardening in unbelief, and hardening in stubborn pride. This heart is deceived.
  1. The reality of one’s pain, a discouraged heart bearing the scars of trauma, represents the shallow rocky soil. The pain is expressed as the scorching sun of tribulation and persecution (Mat13:9).

The pain of life makes one forget about God as the root is shallow (not inclined to depend on God) and resorts to other means to solve the pain. God and His revelational truths become the emergency panic button of last resort to solve the pain. This heart is discouraged.

The heart’s shallowness is likely due to being traumatized by life’s pain to protect itself. But this same coping mechanism also results in a superficial relationship with God.

  1. The reality of one’s desire for pleasure, where the distractions and pleasures of life enchant the heart. This heart is represented by thorns, the cares of the world, and the deceitfulness of wealth. This person desires blessing over the God who is the source of blessing. Such a person forsakes their eternal values for earthly pleasures. This heart is distracted.

In the next post, the cost of discipleship covers the solutions to these heart conditions that impede the authentic discipleship of Christ.

Life's Journey, Purpose and Meaning, Spiritual

Que Sera Sera- What Will Be, Will Be – Despair or Hope

Leave a comment

This post comes on the heels of the recent post, Truth about Faith.

Once a friend made this statement – “Whatever must come will come”

This statement echoed the song Que Sera Sera. This post captures my thoughts about the wisdom of this mantra.

This mantra has been operating as a reality check, a filter of sorts, for appreciating the current and forecasted events, many of them promoting fearful uncertainty.

Whether mainstream or alternative, the news is rife with flavors of the 4 Horsemen of the Apocalypse. This daily inundation of fear and uncertainty poisons the soul.

The mantra of “What will be, will be” or “Whatever must come will come” is not a fatalistic attitude given to despair. Instead, it underpins how I do not drown in earthly preparations (which I still make plans within my means) in light of the foreseeable future. It breaks the vicious cycle of the constant flow of bad news that would otherwise overwhelm me with despair and paralysis. My soul stays afloat amidst the stormy sea of negativity because my HOPE is in God’s faithfulness of His eternal promises.

His promise of my resurrection and His return are the source of HOPE, which motivates me to gradually (day by day) let go of this earthly life, weakening its stranglehold that stems from the demands and expectations of the various roles one has in this life.

This letting go involves the weaning of the fear of events, fear of man, and fear of death. Hope fills the gaping void created by the absence of these fears.

It is a balancing act of sorts, having a heavenward mindset while living in the earthly moment, searching and seeking to experience meaning trying to connect to the heavenward mindset. This process requires the spiritual awakening of the soul.

While each person’s life journey is unique, where comparison is meaningless, the journeys share the common experience expressed in these words – enduring patience.