Farming Your Success Pt.1

Mark 4:14-15 (NKJV)
14 The sower sows the word.
15 And…the word…was sown in their hearts.

The parable of the sower illustrates that after investigating the truth found in God’s Word or “The Master’s Book of Success Principles”, people fall into one of four groups.  These groups also teach us important principles that we should apply toward our life’s success goals. Each group represented in the parable responded differently depending upon the condition of their heart.

Verse 14 states, “The sower sows the word.”  The seed sown is the truth contained in God’s Word.  Verse 15 states where the Word of God is sown – in your heart!  Your heart is the part of you that facilitates the results in your life, and what you permit into your heart programs your success mechanism.

The greater your understanding of this parable the easier it will be for you to program your success mechanism.  Three important points will add to your understanding and effectiveness:

1. This parable makes the analogy of the heart being like the ground.  If the ground is prepared properly, the seed sown produces an abundant harvest.  When your heart is free of rocks, weeds, and thorns, it will facilitate positive results in your life.  Taking action with a prepared heart will cause the power of God to move on your behalf.  When that happens, you receive major assistance as you move toward the realization of your God-given dream.

2. The ground does not distinguish between various seeds.  The ground produces whatever gets planted!  If a farmer plants nightshade, a deadly poison, the ground will produce nightshade.  If a farmer plants corn, the ground will produce corn.  Your heart does not distinguish between the various seeds (concepts, principles, and ideas) that you plant in it.  Your heart will return to you an abundance of whatever you plant, but your heart does not distinguish between the various seeds (concepts, principles, and ideas) that you plant.  It is your responsibility to plant a good crop.  If you plant a good crop, your heart will produce positive results in your life.  Apply the principles in God’s Word and your heart will produce success for you.  Your abundant harvest waits for you to plant in your heart the success principles found in God’s Word.

3. There are four possible groups of people and every individual falls into one of these four groups.  Jesus refers to four distinct groups of people in this parable, and only one of the groups produces lasting results.

Group 1: Those by the wayside where God’s Word was sown (Mark 4:15)
Group 2: Those on stony ground where God’s Word was sown (Mark 4:16)
Group 3: Those among thorns where God’s Word was sown (Mark 4:18)
Group 4: Those on good ground where God’s Word was sown (Mark 4:20)

God's Word is our "Farmer's Almanac" of success! It reveals all we need to know in order to be everything God intends for us to be. All we have to do is follow His instructions.

 
“The ultimate goal of farming is not the growing of crops, but the cultivation and perfection of human beings.” Masanobu Fukuoka

Blessed,

Dr. Tim

"Play the Sunset"

“Mr. Holland’s Opus” is the story of a musician who really just wants to be a composer. Rather grudgingly, he takes a job teaching music at the local high school, supposing it will give him time to write music while providing an income for him and his wife.

One of his students is a very serious red-headed girl who plays the clarinet terribly, even though she practices constantly. As Mr. Holland works with her to try to help, he learns that she is the youngest in a family where everyone excels – except her. Because she has tried so hard and failed, she considers herself a failure, too.

One day she comes into the music classroom and tells Mr. Holland that she’s going to give it up and if he knows anyone who wants her clarinet, he can give it to them.

As she walks away, Holland asks her, “Is it any fun?” With a shrug, she answers, “I wanted it to be.”  “You know what we’ve been doing wrong, Miss Lang? We’ve been playing the notes on the page.”

Confused, the girl asks, “Well what else is there is to play?” “There’s a lot more to music than notes on a page. Playing music is supposed to be fun. It’s about heart. It’s about feelings and moving people and something beautiful and being alive and it’s not about notes on a page. I could teach you notes on a page. I can’t teach you that other stuff.”

He takes away her music and tells her to try it. She tries a time or two, each time coming to a point where she her clarinet squawks and squeaks and she starts to kick herself for her failure.
“What do you like best about yourself?” he asks. With a shy smile she says, “My hair – my dad says it reminds him of a sunset.”

“Play the sunset.” And she closes her eyes, and she begins to play – really play, not just the notes, but the music. She is so amazed when she does the hard part perfectly that her eyes pop open and she stops. Mr. Holland shares her amazement and says, “Don’t stop!”  And so, on she plays: eyes closed, head beginning to sway with the rhythm of it. And we know that this time, it is fun.

Sometimes I wonder if some of us aren’t guilty of doing the same thing when it comes to our relationship with our success or our lives. We try to get everything right. We follow the rules, try to do what others do, – thinking maybe if we do it all right, maybe God will make it OK.

But just like music is a whole lot more than notes on a page, life and success are a whole lot more than obeying rules.

Eph. 3:20 - "Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us, ..." tells us something very significant about the character of God. And tells us something significant about us, too.

The Apostle Paul has asked God to grant the Ephesians some staggering things. In a sense he asks God to enable people who have been trying – not always successfully -- to play the notes on the page to play music. He is asking God to take life’s musical dropouts and make them into virtuosos.

Play the Sunset! Life is more than just playing the notes!

Blessed,

Dr. Tim