Is your faith a fad?

Whatever happened to the fad of Pet Rocks?

What happened to the fad of Crocs?

What about Hannah Montana?

What about Webkinz?

Or even Silly Bandz?

All of these fads died out very quickly (actually, I'm not certain that Silly Bandz are dead), yet they were very, very popular. This puts me in mind of a parable Jesus told.

That same day Jesus went out of the house and sat by the lake. ² Such large crowds gathered around him that he got into a boat and sat in it, while all the people stood on the shore. ³ Then he told them many things in parables, saying: “A farmer went out to sow his seed. ⁴ As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. ⁵ Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. ⁶ But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. ⁷ Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants. ⁸ Still other seed fell on good soil, where it produced a crop—a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown. ⁹ Whoever has ears, let them hear.” Matthew 3:1-9

And then the explanation:

“Listen then to what the parable of the sower means: ¹⁹ When anyone hears the message about the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in their heart. This is the seed sown along the path. ²⁰ The seed falling on rocky ground refers to someone who hears the word and at once receives it with joy. ²¹ But since they have no root, they last only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall away. ²² The seed falling among the thorns refers to someone who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke the word, making it unfruitful. ²³ But the seed falling on good soil refers to someone who hears the word and understands it. This is the one who produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown.”

The verses in bold are what reminds me of a fad. Some people recieve Jesus, perhaps as a fad. But since they have no root, they fall away when persecution comes. Or when their passion for the "fad" of Jesus dies. Is your faith sown in good soil? Or is it just a "fad", falling away when there's trouble?

May your faith produce the highest kind of crop!

Grace be with you,

Abby :D

{All photo credits go to Wikipedia}