My daughter, Melana, when she was younger, sometimes said to me, "Don't tell me what the Bible says. I don't want to be accountable." She understood that hearing the Word of God is a solemn endeavor with serious consequences.

Jesus taught about the seriousness of our responses to His Word in one of his stories; a farmer planted seed in the manner of the time. He took the seed and, while walking over his field, scattered it all around him. Some of the seed landed on the hard path at the side of the field where birds ate it. Some of it landed on a thin layer of soil with rock just beneath the surface. The seeds tried to grow roots, but they couldn't break through the rock. Other seeds fell among the weeds at the edges of the field. The seeds took root, but the weeds choked out their life and no fruit matured. Some seed fell on the soft soil. This seed took root downward and sent stalks upward. In the right season, these plants produced a bountiful harvest.

The seed in Jesus' story represents His Words of Life and the soil symbolizes our heart's response to His call on our lives.

The hard-packed earth on the path stands for the heart of a girl who refuses to listen to anything about God. "Don't talk to me about your fake God!" she might say. She flatly rejects God.

The thin layer of soil over rock represents the girl who, when her best friend accepts Jesus as Savior, goes through the same motions. She doesn't understand what she does. She only knows that she wants to be just like her friend. Over time, however, she shows that the things of God are unimportant to her.

The soil where weeds already grow symbolizes the girl with a shallow interest in God.  When a new interest comes along (a new boyfriend or a part in the school play), she doesn't follow through and the new interest from this world chokes out her interest in God.

God holds us accountable for these decisions. Unless we change our minds and accept His gift of salvation, these decisions lead to a dead end.

The soil where the seed grows to maturity and produces a harvest stands for the girl who with faith and commitment accepts Jesus as Savior and Lord. Her family and friends see a change in her life style because she accepted Him as her Savior. She focuses on God and His Word, obeying His commands and growing in faith and love.

For the one who accepts Christ as her Savior and Lord, this decision is only the first step on the path of accountability. The path is sometimes rocky and steep, but it leads to spiritual change within and a great harvest without. And God will say to this girl, "Well done. You have been faithful to Me."

Lynnda Ell has been an active Christian for over 50 years She has three adult daughters and five grandchildren. She has had careers in accounting, direct sales, electrical engineering and writing. She lives and worships in New Orleans, LA. Check out Lynnda's blog.