Do Not Allow Thorns and Thistles To Grow

I first shared the concept of thorns and thistles at a speaking engagement to a group of graduate students and it was indeed a blessing to all of us. I still find it fascinating, as well as revelatory, hence I will share with you. Due to the purpose of 8minuteword.com, I will make it brief.

The first account of thorns and thistles is mentioned in Genesis 3:17-18. God punished Adam and Eve for their sin of disobedience. They ate of the tree he had warned them not to touch. Cursed is the ground because of you; through painful toil you will eat food from it all the days of your life. It will produce thorns and thistles for you, and you will eat the plants of the field. 

In Genesis 22:12-13, God provides an animal for Abraham–the replacement sacrifice instead of his son, Isaac–but it is caught up in a thicket (thorn-bush). Similarly, in Luke 8, Christ mentions thorns as choking up the seed sown by the farmer, in the Parable of the Sower.

A thorn is a sharp and stiff wooden extension from a plant or tree. It is attached to the plant and gradually sucks its life, until the plant dies. I call them Life-Suckers. Thorns and thistles are indicative of pain, sorrow and suffering. Christ further explains thorns in Luke 8:14 as representing worry and anxiety. Sometimes thorns come in the form of mind-boggling thoughts; the chatterbox in our heads. “You are not good enough,” “No one likes you, so you are going to remain lonely for the rest of your life,” “You are a loser and do not have what it takes to win,” etc. These thoughts try to drain the life out of us and leave us depressed, sad and discouraged. The purpose is to steal, kill and finally destroy us, but the evil one is a liar. Jesus Christ is always one step ahead! In John 10:10, he said he has come with a solution—to give us a joyful and abundant life. He did exactly just that on the Cross of Calvary!

Let me ask you a question. What was the crown placed on Christ’s head at the Cross made of? Gold? No. Diamonds? No. It was made of thorns! Yes, thorns! On the Cross, a crown of thorns was placed on his head. When he said “It is finished,” the curse on humankind was broken! Therefore, no life-sucking force has authority and power over you anymore! So the next time those mind-boggling thoughts come your way, refuse to accommodate them and tell them that God’s thoughts for you are thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a great future! (Jeremiah 29:11).

From today, begin to respond to those horrible thoughts:

I am a winner and not a loser; the first and not the last.

I have the favor of God and not bad luck.

I am blessed and not cursed.

I am free and not bound.

Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us, for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree” Galatians 3:13.

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