Who Do You Love

Who Do You Love "Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him." 1 John 2:15 Having grown up on a farm, I have always been enamored with planting a garden each year. If you have ever planted a seed and watched weeds grow around it, then you know that weeds don't suddenly lunge out of the ground and start violently shaking the plant. It is a gradual process—so gradual that you wouldn't even be able to see it if you were watching. But if you were to place a camera by the plant and set it on time lapse, you would see the weed in action, strangling the plant in slow motion. Jesus told a parable about seed that fell on different types of soil. The seed that had been scattered on ground that was imbedded with weeds was choked out as it began to grow. Jesus explained, "The seed that fell among the thorns represents those who hear God's word, but all too quickly the message is crowded out by the worries of this life and the lure of wealth, so no fruit is produced" Matthew 13:22. There are many people who reject Christ over their career. They want a better job to earn more money. They want more possessions and spend all their time acquiring it. These things can be more important to them than God. Others will choose people over Jesus, and begin to fill their time with their friends, pleasures and hobbies. Peer pressure doesn't end with high school; we still care about what people think. We still want people to like us. We want them to approve of us. And sometimes we make the worst compromises imaginable out of fear of what others think. Peter denied Jesus for fear of what a complete stranger thought of him. My friends, your relationship with Jesus is the most important thing in your life, all the other things in life are not important. Don't let the weeds strangle your walk with God. Robert W. Brock My Daily Devotional Volume Seven February 8