No Figs? Get Rid of the Tree!

Life can seem, to most, like fleeting moments in time that come and go quickly.  God put us on this earth to become productive and actively participators of life.  Our time is as valuable, or even more so, than any other commodity that we are blessed to possess.  Our very moments, should be producing for His kingdom on this earth.  There is nothing the enemy wants us to waste more than our time.  Yes, it is his desire that we squander money and goods, but when we squander our time, he is at his most smug.  Now, I am not suggesting that we keep our noses to the grindstone and ignore the pleasures of life.  For it is God that has provided these pleasures for us to enjoy.   There is nothing more enjoyable than taking an unexpected afternoon nap when the dishes are in the sink.  Or coming across a good movie while channel surfing to check the weather before venturing out to run some much needed errands.  Or having a good friend drop by unexpectedly when you have 6 loads of laundry to get washed and dried.  But, I am referring to ‘casting out’ or ‘telling mountains to move’ or exercising your faith in getting rid of those little things that occupy your time and energy, and many times your resources.  You know, those little things (and sometimes big things) that hang onto your life like barnacles or leeches, and drain away just enough of your life’s reserves, to keep you busy mentally, physically, and/or emotionally.  What has God instructed us to do with the barnacles and leeches and parasites of life?  To have faith, speak to the barnacles, the leeches, the parasites, and to not doubt that they must go in His name, when we command them to go.  To have faith, believing and not doubting, that when we pray He hears and honors our requests.  We must speak to those things in our life that seem relevant or important, but are void of fruit.  Those things in our life that, from far away, look like it needs our attention or time or money, but will result in nothing productive.  Much like that fig tree looked to Jesus.  The tree had leaves and gave Him the indication that there were figs, even though the season was early.  But, upon closer inspection, nothing.  Nada.  Zip.  He gave us the authority to speak to such things in our life, to be gone, if it was fruitless.  Just as the fig tree had to obey His command to become withered, so have we the power and authority.  If we fail to do this, then we, ourselves might become the fig tree that He spoke of in Matthew 7:17…