Where is your heart?

As we continue to remediate the soil of our heart, we may notice that thorns and seeds are both growing in us, and if we allow both to grow together, the thorns will choke the seeds.

This means we are permitting two masters to take control of our lives, and as a result, what we don't say'no' to, will become obstacles for us to further grow in faith and in our relationship with God.

The thorns that we often cultivate include the worldly riches and pleasures that Jesus mentioned. We can easily be enslaved by these desires (which come in many forms) because they are not necessarily sinful and can make us feel good. But whether such pleasures are materialistic or sensual, they are all temporary.

“The thing is, our deep yearning isn't for momentary pleasures; it is for lasting happiness in a changing world.” – Matthew Kelly, The Biggest Lie in the History of Christianity

Fr. Robert Spitzer, a Jesuit priest, discussed The Four Levels of Happiness. He reinforces the insight of how seeking gratification in earthly things are, among other means, comparatively lower level and shorter-term in nature. The greatest happiness and fullness of joy can only be found when we focus on God and not on ourselves.

Jesus taught us, “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and decay destroy, and thieves break in and steal. But store up treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor decay destroys, nor thieves break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there also will your heart be.” (Matthew 6:19-21)

As we start to taste the goodness of God, and experience the hope and joy in His promises for this life and the next, we will realize that uprooting thorns is not only less painful than we thought, but is actually very worthwhile.