Honest Heart Means Hefty Harvest

“But that on the good ground are they, which in an honest and good heart, having heard the word, keep it, and bring forth fruit with patience.” (Lu 8:15 AV)

 

This verse is found within the well-known parable of the four soils.  Jesus is speaking of four types of people who hear the word of God.  Three of the four produce no lasting fruit of fruit at all.  For one reason or another, the word of God is not effective in their lives.  However, there is one type of person who does produce godliness.  The above person produces fruit upwards of one hundred-fold.  What is the key?  Why is he any different?  It has to do with the heart.  In particular, the sinner who comes to Christ or the saint who produces fruit has a good and honest heart.  Putting it another way, he has a heart that is honest with itself and yields to the ministry of the word of God which then produces a good or pure heart.  It is the condition of the heart that determines how effective the Holy Spirit can be as He teaches us His word.  The heart must be an honest one.  That is, it must be truthful with itself and also in handling the truth.  Motive matters here as well.  Why we take in the word of God and what we intend to do with it also contributes to how effective it will be.  Honesty of heart is hard to come by.

I never liked job interviews.  Although I admit, I haven’t been to too many in my lifetime.  There are uncomfortable questions asked that do not pertain to the job at hand or one’s ability to benefit the goals of the company.  One such question sounds pretty noble but is manipulative.  “Where do you see yourself in five, ten, twenty, or fifty years from now?”  The question is designed to measure ambition.  The problem is, in the context of the company you are looking at, the question might be a ridiculous one.  “I hope to run this company and fire HR people who ask these questions.”  Or, “What would you say is the greatest impediment to your personal improvement goals?”  How about, “I am near perfect so I will soon run out of goals.”  But the one that gets me is “What would you say are your greatest weaknesses?”  How are you supposed to answer that?  No matter what you say, it will work against your chances of getting the job.  I have been the interviewer at times and was required to ask that question to candidates.  I will say this, it is a great question if you are trying to discern someone’s humility.  If he struggles to answer that question, then he may not evaluate his own job performance and improve where he can.  On the other hand, you did not look forward to hearing from someone with extremely low self-esteem as he droned on and on about all his faults.  There is such a thing as too much information.  What this question did do was to discern the honesty one might have about himself.  The interviewer would not be so concerned about faults as the willingness to express those faults.  To be honest with oneself is a great enduring quality.

When we sit down to read our Bible and listen to the voice of God, are we prepared in heart and mind to receive that which the Holy Spirit so freely gives?  Are we ready to hear?  Jesus tells us to not only take heed to what we hear but how we hear.  Are our hearts honest?  This does not mean perfect.  To have an honest heart does not mean to be free from all fault.  To have an honest heart does not mean we have failed to confess sin.  What it does mean is we have a heart absent of all pretense.  No matter what we hear from the voice of God, it will not be refused.  Nor will we read the word of God with a preconceived notion of what our soul needs and feed off that which we already have too much of.  We may not need to read any more encouraging words.  Maybe we need convicting words.  Or, perhaps we have been beaten up enough (and rightly so) and need to hear a promise or two.  Do we approach the word of God as an open book able to speak with us right where we are and willing to take in that which is said?  If we are to realize fruit unto holiness, then we must approach the word of God with an honest heart.  It will not work any other way.