13 min read

VIII. Purge

Balance

Rather than moving things around or giving them away there can also be a season for completely ridding ourselves and others of certain obstacles. This season can be for assessing whether we are truly moving in virtue or whether we have become comfortably content (or stagnant) within our progress. Consciously or subconsciously we may still be allowing an environment that prevents us from deepening our faith. During our spiritual harvest, we must take care to check our internal garden and without delay address any weeds that may be stifling our growth. The highlighted 14th verse from Luke 8 as well as other bible verses will explain what this entry will be covering, which is how in a certain level of progress you can become stunted in growth, if you fail to cut loose from deceitful amusements (that conflict with the Word).

10And he said to them: ‘To you it has been given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God, But to the rest, it is in parables, so that: seeing, they may not perceive, and hearing, they may not understand.

11Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of God.

12And those beside the way are those who hear it, but then the devil comes and takes the word from their heart, lest by believing it they may be saved.

13Now those upon the rock are those who, when they hear it, accept the word with joy, but these have no roots. So they believe for a time but in a time of testing, they fall away.

14And those which fell among thorns are those who have heard it, but as they go along, they are suffocated by the concerns and riches and pleasures of this life, and so they do not yield fruit.

15But those which were good soil are those who, upon hearing the word. With a good and noble heart, retain it, and they bring forth fruit in patience. (Luke 8: 10-15)

As Christians, our daily lives should be a conscious effort to live out the faith, but sometimes we don’t always notice the everyday smaller things that coincide with the secular life. Subsequently, they become overlooked or casually go unnoticed for years. In truth, they don’t always jump out and catch our attention because of how pleasurable or comfortable we and others are in them. Oftentimes these small comforts are nothing more than concealed hindrances that slowly creep and softly take root in our lives to enable our regress. Things like this don’t always have to be physical within our space. Understand that to the naked eye you may see a home that possesses all the qualities of a Christian dwelling but as far as things that come and go into that space, there is a certain disconnect. This can come down to things we allow ourselves to be entertained by which are fleeting but still entering the home. Things like this should be carefully monitored over time. TV, books, food, guests, activities, any kind of consumption or entertainment. Any and all of these can become things that devour our time, and soon our thoughts, as time spent doing anything will imprint through our memories. Certain things we do can have multiplicable darkening effects on the purity of our soul--effects that you cannot see or feel, not until they manifest themselves exteriorly at the time of our death, or if by grace then a few decades before the judgement, when we can find time to change course. Again, we must take care that nothing we consume for entertainment, contradicts with our displayed devotions for God, that rather than becoming synonymous they become separate from Him. This is essentially how Christians come to the need of adding God to their life, maybe on Sundays or for prayer time or whatever designated occasion, rather than surrendering their entire life to Him—which only means incorporating Him into every aspect of living. When one becomes so engulfed and entrenched in desires of another form, one even so contradicting to the faith, it can leave us to become numb to any surrounding reverence and...click here to finish reading.