How can you break up the unploughed ground in your spiritual life?

Major Gordon Cotterill considers what it means to surrender the hardened areas in our hearts to God.

Today, agriculture is highly mechanised. Farmers use GPS-guided tractors, automated ploughs and soil sensors to prepare fields. But ancient farmers would have used simple wooden ploughs, often pulled by oxen or donkeys, sometimes tipped with bronze or iron for durability. Preparing the field involved removing large rocks that could obstruct ploughing or hinder seed growth. Labourers walked the fields, lifting or prying out stones and stacking them along the edges.

Hosea’s call to ‘break up your unploughed ground’ is more than a farming metaphor; it’s a spiritual invitation to clear away what hinders growth, making space for renewal, righteousness and the hope of transformation.

It takes courage to face the hidden obstacles that harden our hearts. As Paul writes in 2 Timothy 1:7, God gives us a spirit of power, love and self-discipline – not timidity. True discipleship is Spirit-empowered boldness shaped by Jesus, focused on growth and transformation. It is energised by faith and aligned with the pursuit of God’s will. It is a life modelled on Jesus, driven by a desire for growth and maturity in Christ.

Covenant Sunday each year reminds us of our need to continually rely on God, to allow his Holy Spirit to mould our hearts and lives and empower us to bring hope to those around us. It is an opportunity to begin reflecting on our heart state and timidity levels, to confront what stands in the way of the with-God life – doing everything in our lives with God.

These obstacles might include something hidden or unaddressed, blocking intimacy with God. Perhaps it’s a refusal to surrender or admit our need, preventing transformation. Fear and insecurity can keep us from stepping out in faith or trusting God’s goodness. Holding on to past wounds can create spiritual resistance, while a lack of desire or intentionality in seeking God can leave the soil of our hearts untouched.

It then takes time and intentionality to work on softening those areas and allowing the Spirit in. Confession and repentance invite us to name and release what’s blocking growth. Through prayer and silence, we create space for God to speak and soften the heart. Community and accountability help us identify and remove what we might not see on our own, while engaging with Scripture allows God’s word to expose and uproot what lies buried within. Together, these practices prepare the soil of our lives for transformation and fruitfulness.

In Celebration of Discipline, Richard J Foster writes: ‘A farmer is helpless to grow grain; all he can do is provide the right conditions for the growing of grain… This is the way it is with the spiritual disciplines – they are a way of sowing to the Spirit… By themselves the spiritual disciplines can do nothing; they can only get us to the place where something can be done.’

What habits or areas of your heart feel like unploughed ground? What fears or hesitations might hold you back from bold obedience? Where is God inviting you to be courageous and dig deeper, clear away resistance, and make space for renewal in your lives, relationships or community?

Dallas Willard once said: ‘Grace is not opposed to effort. It is opposed to earning.’ Will that reshape the way you approach spiritual growth in the year ahead?

• Based on Covenant Sunday resources.

Surrender to God

1. Hold out your hands. Start with both hands out and fists closed.
2. What things are you holding on to? What are you trying to keep away from God? Why are you holding on to the things God can take away?
3. Unclench your fists and spread out your fingers with your palms facing down.
4. Release your control and give it to God. Allow him to take whatever it is from you.
5. Turn your hands over so your palms are facing upwards.
6. Be open to receive God’s guidance and blessings. Replace your hidden fear with God’s grace and hope.