Matthew 13:23 - "[Jesus said,] 'As for what was sown on good soil, this is the one who hears the word and understands it. He indeed bears fruit and yields, in one case a hundredfold, in another sixty, and in another thirty.'"
Okay, Parents, listen up!
Well, as long as you're somebody who cares about somebody else, then you can listen in too.
Okay, here's what I need to tell you. Ready? This is the information that will make you the best parents ever. Ready? Okay!
Here's the info: My grass is growing!
Yep, that's all the info you need to be super-parents.
Oh, I'm not talking about my regular grass. I mean, it's June and, of course, the regular grass is growing. I'm talking about the four square feet of grass in the triangular area enclosed by the concrete of the curb, the sidewalk, and our driveway. That's the grass that's growing! It hasn't grown in a couple years.
So how could it have grown when it was totally sun scorched and whatever's-in-concrete fed? Simple! Good soil! A one dollar and thirty-eight cent bag of good ol' top soil that was waiting in my yard bucket to be used. Sprinkle it in; sprinkle it on; and wow, the grass starts to grow.
Does this surprise us? It shouldn't. Jesus said in today's Bible verse that whatever is sown on good soil will be thirty, sixty, even hundred times more productive.
So what's this got to do with parenting? Simple. In today's verse, Jesus says that good soil is a person, namely, a person "who hears [God's] word and understands it." It's pretty hard for your child to hear God's word and understand it and bear fruit like Jesus describes , if you're never feeding your child both with God's word and an understanding of it. Feeding a child with God's word and an understanding of it so that, all other things being equal, your child can be "thirty, sixty, even hundred times more productive" has nothing to do with seminary training or serving as a pastor. No! Feeding a child with God's word and an understanding of it so that, all other things being equal, your child can be "thirty, sixty, even hundred times more productive" has to do with time. Your time. Your time to daily read a bit of the Bible to your child. Your time to weekly memorize the simplest of Bible verses. Your time to Google just a little bit of understanding from an internet source like Biblegateway.com. And your time to feed that bit of understanding to your child.
I'm a parent. I know it doesn't take that much time to read God's Word to your child and share a bit of understanding with your child. Even five minutes a day in God's Word with your child is better than leaving them out in the elements to get sun scorched and whatever's-in-concrete fed?
Try it! What do you have to lose? How about a little bit of time...and a lot of anxiety over your children's future! After all, God's word will produce untold spiritual fruit...and that's the growth in a child for which every parent yearns!
Praise God!
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