Producing fruit

I worked on a farm for two summers in 1984 and 1985. I remember getting up around five most mornings to get to the fields and get to work. At $1.50 an hour, I wasn't getting rich, but it gave me a little money.
Anyway, one of my jobs on the farm was to walk through the fields and get rid of weeds. The farmer knew that weeds would make it more difficult for the crops to grow and produce. Whether it was the weeds taking some of the moisture and nutrients from the ground or getting to the size where they blocked sunlight, weeds were nothing but hurtful to the crops. If they were not safely and fully removed, the plants would die or at best they would not produce any crops.
This is exactly what Jesus is talking about in the parable we read today. The cares of this life and the lure of wealth are just like the weeds. They either steal our energy away from serving God or they block out our ability to see the Son.
We may still go to church. We may keep up the appearances of serving God. But are we producing fruit?
This is what the cares of life and the lure of wealth do to us. They change us from healthy plants producing a crop to nonproductive plants. If we are not careful we are transformed from people sharing our faith and leading people to Jesus to people who are satisfied with sitting in a pew.
Is worry impacting your ability to produce a crop for God? Find someone to help you, pray with you, or challenge you to pull the weeds out of your life so you can bring forth the fruit that God is calling you to produce.

shine!
Jason