“Still others, like seed sown among thorns, hear the word; but the worries of this life, the deceitfulness of wealth and the desires for other things come in and choke the word, making it unfruitful” (Mark 4:18-19).

Here is an issue each of us faces—“the worries of this life.” The Greek word we translate as “worries” literally means “to be drawn in different directions.” Worry figuratively tears us in two. One moment we trust that God will meet our needs and the next moment we doubt that He will. We then begin to act as if everything depends on us and we leave God out of the picture. That chokes the life out of us and keeps us from bearing spiritual fruit.

There is an alternative to worry. We can bring the things that trouble us to God and leave them in His hands. “Do not be anxious [worried] about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:6-7).

Jesus wasn’t saying that we are to live thoughtless lives. He wasn’t advocating that we have no foresight about the future. He was saying that when we live as though God isn’t there we cannot ultimately succeed. The way to be fruitful is to keep our trust in God. That will secure our decisions, lead to success and bring us peace.