"I can't be fruitful."
the teaching from the parable of the sower holds important truths that apply to our lives. We need to understand that God's intention is for us to be fruitful, as revealed in Genesis 1:28. Fruitfulness, in this context, involves becoming more Christlike, demonstrating the fruits of the spirit (love, joy, peace, patience, etc. - Galatians 5:22), making disciples, and experiencing prosperity in our lives.
But the sad reality is that we do not always see the fruit in our lives. The parable points out that various hindrances can prevent the seed of the word from flourishing in our hearts. Sometimes it’s unbelief, or our hearts might be too shallow to take the word deeply, or the cares of this world choke the seed. If we are not seeing the fruits, we might be tempted to believe the lie: "I can't be fruitful."
But God is working, and we must seek Him. David sought the Lord during a famine, as recorded in 2 Samuel 21:21. Similarly, we are encouraged to seek God when we experience a 'famine' of fruit in our lives. As Psalm 139:23-24 encourages us, we need to invite God to search our hearts, and correct any issues preventing us from bearing fruit.
At times, a lack of fruit may be God's way of drawing our attention to something He wants to address in our lives. We should not interpret it as a sign that God won't bless us. In fact, if we humble ourselves, pray, seek His face and turn from our wicked ways, God promises to hear us, forgive us, and heal our land (2 Chronicles 7:14).
There are three things that will foster fruitfulness in our lives:
Focusing more on Jesus: As per John 15:5, we must abide in Jesus to bear much fruit. It's essential that we cultivate an intimate connection with Him.
Committing to Jesus: The person who meditates on God’s law day and night is compared to a tree planted by the water that yields its fruit in its season (Psalm 1:1-3). We should make a firm commitment to follow Jesus, aligning our lives with His word.
Dying to self: John 12:24 reminds us of the principle that in dying, we truly live. When we put God’s will above ours, even when it's hard, we position ourselves for fruitfulness. As Jesus taught, a seed must fall into the ground and die to bear fruit.
To conclude, some might need to come to Jesus today. And for those who are already with Him, He's leading you to a more fruitful life. Let's not buy into the lie that we can't be fruitful. With God working in us, we can and will be fruitful.