As a preschool teacher I tend to do a few activities that I never really thought I would do. One of those things is gardening. I do not have a green thumb. If someone gives me a plant it tends to die very quickly. Sure, I've tried to keep them alive but plants just must not like me.
Anyhow, one day my co-teacher and I decided it was time to use some old seeds we had in our room. We planted cucumbers, tomatoes, and peppers in front of our center. Time passed and only the tomato plants survived. We went out with the kids to look at the plants. Then we let the kids choose one tomato to pick each.
One child saw a nice, big, juicy looking tomato toward the back of the garden. I went back and helped the child try to pick it. For some reason this tomato did not want to come off. So I pulled and twisted till finally it came off; and another tomato came with it. I discovered why that tomato did not want to come off. It was attached to a rotten tomato. The kids looked disgusted, but then we got to talk about why the tomato became rotten. It was a good science lesson.
I thought about that tomato after school that day. The tomato the child chose looked so good. But underneath the leaves it was attached to a rotten tomato. Sometimes we meet people who are like that good looking tomato. This person claims to be a Christian but he may do things that don't look like things a Christian would do. Or, in the case of this tomato, this Christian may have friends who begin to make him rotten.
We must be careful who we allow to influence us. 1 Corinthians 15:33 says "Do not be deceived: 'Bad company ruins good morals.'" If we are not strong in our foundation of faith we will run the risk of allowing others to influence us to sin. We must know God's word. We must be strong in him so we know when to say no. We must not fall into temptation. We must focus on producing good fruit, the fruit of the spirit.
Now, this isn't to say we are not to try to reach the lost for God. That's what we are to do according to the great commission. But, we are not to fall into temptation and sin as we try to reach the lost. That's why we must spend time in God's word and pray with him.
So, are you allowing others to influence you in a bad way? How can you focus on spending time with God so you produce good fruit?
Anyhow, one day my co-teacher and I decided it was time to use some old seeds we had in our room. We planted cucumbers, tomatoes, and peppers in front of our center. Time passed and only the tomato plants survived. We went out with the kids to look at the plants. Then we let the kids choose one tomato to pick each.
One child saw a nice, big, juicy looking tomato toward the back of the garden. I went back and helped the child try to pick it. For some reason this tomato did not want to come off. So I pulled and twisted till finally it came off; and another tomato came with it. I discovered why that tomato did not want to come off. It was attached to a rotten tomato. The kids looked disgusted, but then we got to talk about why the tomato became rotten. It was a good science lesson.
I thought about that tomato after school that day. The tomato the child chose looked so good. But underneath the leaves it was attached to a rotten tomato. Sometimes we meet people who are like that good looking tomato. This person claims to be a Christian but he may do things that don't look like things a Christian would do. Or, in the case of this tomato, this Christian may have friends who begin to make him rotten.
We must be careful who we allow to influence us. 1 Corinthians 15:33 says "Do not be deceived: 'Bad company ruins good morals.'" If we are not strong in our foundation of faith we will run the risk of allowing others to influence us to sin. We must know God's word. We must be strong in him so we know when to say no. We must not fall into temptation. We must focus on producing good fruit, the fruit of the spirit.
Now, this isn't to say we are not to try to reach the lost for God. That's what we are to do according to the great commission. But, we are not to fall into temptation and sin as we try to reach the lost. That's why we must spend time in God's word and pray with him.
So, are you allowing others to influence you in a bad way? How can you focus on spending time with God so you produce good fruit?
Image from here.
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