What we did not at first recognize about these particular flowers, is that they were on a type of vine, which was killing their host tree, a pine. I don't remember who, but someone in our family mentioned that it was an excellent object lesson, of the cares of this life. Which got me thinking! :-) I would like to talk a little bit about that here, hopefully it will mean as much to you as it did to me.
First of all, look at how beautiful and perfect the flowers appear. They look completely harmless, and actually desirable. But are they harmless? You can't see in the picture how bad the pine they are growing around looks, but it is dying. I wonder how long it took for the flower vine to start killing the tree? Probably quite a while I would think, as I can see where the vine has died off in the winter. Also notice how the vine is actually growing higher than the tree! All these things have lessons on them. There are things in this world, that look good. They are sometimes beautiful, desirable looking, and seemingly harmless! But take a closer look at the 'hosts' that they grow on. Are they dying? Are these things choking the very life out of them? It may take longer for these things to kill some than others, but, nonetheless, it will kill them. What are these things in your life? I must honestly, seriously, and prayerfully ask myself, am I allowing the cares of this life to choke me to death? What a serious question! A question, I believe, that we must ask ourselves, in this, the end of earth's history. Let me quote here from the pen of inspiration: “Oh, there are so many selfish interests, so many cords to bind us to this world! But we must keep cutting these cords, and be in a condition of waiting for our Lord.” 'Reflecting Christ'; pg. 367.6. We must cut the cords! Praise God, He is able to help us do this. I will now quote from the Bible: “He also that received seed among the thorns is he that heareth the word; and the care of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, choke the word, and he becometh unfruitful.”
(Matthew 13). There are some examples of things that can choke us. I wonder, could even serving God, or appearing to serve Him, choke Him out in our lives? That question may seem ludicrous to some, but I have observed, that it can be very true! Where are our priorities? Who rules on the throne? Christ, or myself? I want the following verse to be the case in my life: “But he that received seed into the good ground is he that heareth the word, and understandeth it; which also beareth fruit, and bringeth forth, some an hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.” (Matthew 13). I want to be a plant, whether tree, flower, or otherwise, that is a glory to God, and lives not for myself, but to bless others. I want to leave behind the cares of this world, for they will all pass away. My goal is to strive to enter in at the strait gate, and, through the grace of God, bring as many with me as possible. Won't you join me in this? I hope and pray we all, especially young people, will 'cut the cords', and grow to our full stature in Christ!
Growing for Him,
-Schane
No comments:
Post a Comment