A "Thorny Culture"

-“The one who received the seed that fell among thorns is the man who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke it making it unfruitful…” (Matthew 13:22) We live in a “thorny culture.” The word of God is being choked out by the increasing complexity of our lives, the false promises of technology to meet our deepest longings and our foolish following after the culture’s latest deception. As a dad, and leader of the family, I am to be a kind of “screen,” putting boundaries around the home when appropriate, slowing the family down, turning down the noise and pointing out the lies when they inevitably come to our children through the media, their peers or their school. This screen needs to be at work first in my own mind and heart. Paul prayed for the Corinthians who, like us were living in a very prosperous, idolatrous culture, “But I am afraid that just as Eve was deceived by the serpent’s cunning, your minds may somehow be led astray from your sincere and pure devotion to Christ.” (2 Cor. 11:3) What was the devil’s strategy with Eve? To distract from the relationship she enjoyed and plant the idea in her mind that God was holding something back from her, she was being deprived of real living. He uses the same strategy today. As a dad I first need to protect my own heart and then seek to protect the hearts of my children. Dear Lord Jesus, give me the courage to weed out the thorns growing up around me that distract me from you and threaten to choke out your word’s fruitfulness in my life and in the lives of my family members. Let it start with me. Help me to be ruthless! Amen.