SUCCESSFUL FAILURES - Matthew 13:18-23 

What Does It Say? Jesus explains four possible scenarios that can happen when people hear the gospel message. 1) Satan snatches the seed away and nothing happens. 2) the person at first is excited about Jesus, but they gets criticized because of their faith and give it up quickly. 3) the person appears to be doing well for a while, but then the busyness of life takes over and they fall away 4) this person receives the word, follows Jesus, and bears much fruit.

What Does it Mean?  When a tree bears fruit, the tree does not eat the fruit; the people around it do.  That would mean that those around us get the benefit of what we are learning.  Our lives should exhibit the fruits of the spirit found in Galatians 5:22-23: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self control.  When we spend time with Jesus allowing Him to change us from the inside out, the fruit in us is growing like the fruit on a tree.  Our job is to spend time with Jesus, Jesus develops the fruit.  The fruits of the spirit describe how we should respond to difficulties.  If nothing ever happens to frustrate us, it is easy to appear patient, peaceful, joyful, etc.  One of the ways God develops fruit is by allowing us to experience situations that are difficult.  Last summer I got a new pair of glasses.  A couple of months later, I lost them and never did find them and had to go buy another pair.  Through that experience, I discovered that I was not very peaceful or joyful.  I had to go back and make some apologies.  Funny how we learn more from our failures than we do our successes.  My response to losing my glasses was a successful failure because I learned where I needed to grow.  We can welcome trials because they are part of the process of growing fruit in us.  What fruit do those around you enjoy?  In what area is your spiritual fruit not quite ripe?

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