READ: Mark 4:14-20
“And the cares of this world…choke the word, and it becometh unfruitful.” – Mark 4:19
Jesus compared the four types of ground to four types of hearts. In one heart, thorns choked the Word. Another heart was like a stone, so that the Word could not enter. In another heart, the Word fell by the wayside.
It was only the good heart that bore fruit. This story implies that only about a quarter of all those who hear the Word of God will eventually remain in Christ and be fruitful.
Paying your debts, your bills, and all the responsibilities that go with family life fall under the “cares” of the world. There is nothing wrong with paying your bills or looking after your family. These are legitimate challenges that everyone in this world will grapple with. However, God warns us against becoming overburdened with these responsibilities. When they begin to dominate your life, you are in danger of backsliding or falling away from Christ.
I have observed that when Christians take on new jobs, they become so engrossed in them—to the detriment of their spir- itual lives. Sometimes because of such new jobs, they neither go to church nor have their quiet times anymore. The cares of the world have begun to cause backsliding.
Every student’s “care” is to pass his examinations but God should not be excluded from your life because of your books. As a medical student I successfully combined my school work with my pastoral work. I have never put the Word or the work of God aside because of school.