And others fell upon the thorns;
and the thorns grew up and choked them…
…
this is he that heareth the word;
and the care of the world,
and the deceitfulness of riches,
choke the word,
and he becometh unfruitful.

(Matthew 13:7,22 ASV)

These words of Jesus are frequently on my mind. The “cares of the world” and the “deceitfulness of riches” are the things that the world is concerned about: food, clothing, family, employment, a good retirement, entertainment, comfort, pleasure, happiness. These are not evil in themselves, but they become evil when they form the basis of my goals, desires and motivations. This happens all too often, and when it does, Jesus ends up taking the backseat in my life. Then I find it more difficult to hear Him speak to me. This hinders my growth in Christ to the point where it becomes impossible to bear fruit.

The fruit that love of the world prevents is the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:16-24), which is headed up with love. So love of the world prevents the love of the Spirit. If I allow the world to attract me, I shouldn’t wonder that I’m not making progress in loving my enemies, growing in patience towards those who irritate me, growing in my relationship with the Lord, and so on.

What thorns have I allowed, and even now am allowing and nurturing, in my life? (It’s time to do an inventory!) The cares of the world and deceitfulness of riches are the number one cause for stunted spiritual growth. God only knows how much spiritual fruit I’ve already dropped prematurely due to the thorns in my life!