Luke 8:7 And other fell amidst thorns, and springing up with the thorns, they choked it.
In this part of the parable of the Sower and the SoilsJesus talks about the thorny soil. In verse 14 He explains who this soil represents.
" The seeds that fell among thorn bushes stand for those who hear; but the worries and riches and pleasures of this life crowd in and choke them, and their fruit never ripens." Luke 8:14
The soil is fertile soil, but other stuff grows in it and crowds out the seed that fell in it. Look at what Jesus says crowds it out. "worries and riches, and pleasures of this life." This soil represents the heart that allows the things of life to crowd out the word of God and keeps the person from growing spiritually. Let's take a look at those things. It's too easy to go too far in either direction when dealing with worries, riches and pleasures.
The first thing Jesus mentioned is worry. There will always be trouble in this world. There will always be things that cause worry. Our first response to worry should be to turn towards God. We don't allow the worry to push God out of our lives. If God is getting pushed aside by worry it is because we have decided not to trust God and to try to solve the problem ourselves. In Luke 12:25 Jesus said, "Can any of you add an hour to your life by worrying?" He then went on to say that God would see that our needs are met. God may not solve our problems the way we think they need to be solved, but He will solve them in a way that in the end, we will be more spiritually mature. A spiritually mature person is a content person. God wants us to grow in Him and have a close relationship with Him. A relationship with God will bring us a full and happy life. So lay those worries in God's hands and allow yourself to be drawn to Him not away from Him.
The second thing Jesus mentioned is riches. The drive for wealth can, and will, push us away from God. It can absorb our time and attention so much that we no longer have time to spend with God. It is not wrong to have money. If a person has been blessed with abundance, then praise the Lord! The questions we need to ask ourselves is, "Do we have money or does money have us?" and "Are we serving God with what He has blessed us with?" The focus is placed back on God and how we can serve Him and do His will. The first part of doing God's will is to spend time every day with Him and to always be listening for His guidance.
The third thing Jesus mentioned is pleasures. There is nothing wrong with being happy and enjoying life. But we can make the mistake of pursuing those pleasures to the point that we crowd out God. We no longer make time to study and worship God. Without God in our lives, every minute of every day, the pleasures we end up pursuing can be things that go against a Christian lifestyle. We can end up shrinking in our spiritual maturity instead of growing.
God should always be first in all that we do and in every situation we face. Just as a child matures through proper nutrition and through direction or guidance, a person matures spiritually through feeding on the word, which is Bible study, or listening to sermons, and by allowing God to guide us continually every minute of every day. Don't allow things to get in the way of your walk with God.