The Teachable Heart

We need to maintain a teachable heart and not allow ourselves to become hardened by various outside influences whether the source is man or the adversary.  Jesus spoke in Mark chapter 4:

14 The sower sows the word [of God, the good news regarding the way of salvation].

15 These [in the first group] are the ones along the road where the word is sown; but when they hear, Satan immediately comes and takes away the word which has been sown in them.

16 In a similar way these [in the second group] are the ones on whom seed was sown on rocky ground, who, when they hear the word, immediately receive it with joy [but accept it only superficially];

17 and they have no real root in themselves, so they endure only for a little while; then, when trouble or persecution comes because of the word, immediately they [are offended and displeased at being associated with Me and] stumble and fall away.

18 And others are the ones on whom seed was sown among the thorns; these are the ones who have heard the word,

19 but the worries and cares of the world [the distractions of this age with its worldly pleasures], and the deceitfulness [and the false security or glamour] of wealth [or fame], and the passionate desires for all the other things creep in and choke out the word, and it becomes unfruitful.

 20 And those [in the last group] are the ones on whom seed was sown on the good soil; and they hear the word [of God, the good news regarding the way of salvation] and accept it and bear fruit—thirty, sixty, and a hundred times as much [as was sown].”   AMPL

Jesus explains the four general groups of people hearing The Word.  The Sons and Daughters are meant to be in the fourth group and are required to guard their hearts from becoming susceptible to the influences affecting the other three groups.

Impatience causes people to receive The Word with joy but only endure for a little while.  Many other people allow the distractions of this age with its worldly pleasures to divert their attention away from The Word.  These worldly pleasures choke out The Word and leave a pronounced void in their hearts.  After the pleasures of the world are long gone, there is an emptiness because the temporary nature of worldly pleasures no longer satisfies the carnal man.

In order for us to bear good fruit, we must not only hear The Word, but accept it and bear fruit by responding with corresponding action.  However, it all starts with maintaining a teachable heart.  If we don’t protect our hearts, we will cause our fruitfulness to decay and dry up.

Wisdom wrote in Proverbs chapter 4:

20 ​​My son, give attention to my words; ​​Incline your ear to my sayings.

21 ​​Do not let them depart from your eyes; ​​Keep them in the midst of your heart;

22 ​​For they are life to those who find them, and health to all their flesh.

23 ​​Keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it spring the issues (fountain) of life.

Wisdom tells us to watch over our hearts with all diligence.  This is not done by simply obtaining more knowledge.  It comes by guarding what enters your five physical senses.  If you constantly dwell on worldly topics, trends, or news, you will ultimately sacrifice your focus on guarding The Word in your heart.  We must keep perspective when the world attempts to influence us in our daily lives.  We are not called to isolate ourselves from the world, but instead we are to guard our hearts as we interact with the world.

We are called to be a light unto the world and this is not done by isolation, but rather walking among the people who need the light because of their darkness.  We strengthen our hearts by a daily focus of FATHER’S Word and responding to The Holy Spirit as we go out into the world.  The people of the world need to “eat” of our fruit in order to bring life to their lives.  Let each day begin with a teachable heart.

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