“When the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root.” (Matt. 13:6)
“YOU WANT WHAT?” my wife exclaimed as she lifted her eyebrows. I was suggesting that we should buy a product I had seen on an infomercial. The product promised to give me six-pack abs while I continued to relax in my La-Z-Boy. That would be amazing, right? I eventually convinced my wife that I should buy the product, but I quickly discovered that it didn’t work the way it was advertised.
Infomercials are effective because many people are eager for the next craze. They quickly take up a thing, and just as quickly drop it. They begin a new hobby or run after a new accomplishment with enthusiasm, but when the thing loses its luster or becomes challenging, they abandon it and wait for the next fad to catch their attention.
Jesus knew that this way of thinking can also slip into our relationship with Him. We are prone to be swept off our feet by an emotional reaction when we encounter spiritual truths or experience something powerful. Life with God is a grand privilege, but it is also a great responsibility. However, it will not survive on the short bursts of enthusiasm. Jesus wants the seed of our faith to develop deep roots, so that when daily affliction or persecution comes we will not wither, but we will stand the test of time.
Base your faith on God’s promises, not your emotions.
Ed Love serves as the Director of Multiplication for The Wesleyan Church, and is the author of Fear Not (WPH) and Reclaiming Hope (WPH).
© 2018 Wesleyan Publishing House. Reprinted from Light from the Word. Used by permission.
