Monday, February 21, 2011

What Kind Of Seed Are You?

"Still other seed fell on good soil, where it produced a crop -- a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown." -- Matthew 13:8

In this part of the country, farmers are preparing the fields and starting to plant. Spring is in the air and though we know another cold snap is bound to come, we are almost tasting the fresh vegetables and fruits that we'll enjoy in a few months. We're certain that our crops -- whether big or small -- will produce abundantly if they have the right amount of water and sun.

In other words, our crops depend on God's grace to grow and become all that we dream they will be. I wonder if that's how God views us sometimes. It's like we are each an individual seed He has planted and He is waiting to see if we will grow and produce good fruit.

We have a choice, of course. We can stay where He planted us and eventually wither and die from lack of nourishment. Not because He didn't offer, but because we were too busy and self-consumed to partake. We can get excited about Jesus, then let that excitement fade away when we realize the work is hard and requires daily nurturing. Or we can be like the good seed and take in all the water that God provides through His Word. We can bask in the light that comes from the Son. And we can grow daily in service, producing abundant fruit for His Glory.

What kind of seed are you?

Wednesday, October 13, 2010

Live Like Jesus Would

"He also said, 'This is what the kingdom of God is like. A man scatters seed on the ground. Night and day, whether he sleeps or gets up, the seed sprouts and grows, though he does not know how.'" -- Mark 4:26-27

We impact the lives of others, whether we realize it or not. I'm not just taking about the people we know, like family, friends and co-workers. We also impact people we don't know, like the driver in the car beside us, the cashier at the grocery store or the person behind us in line at the store. They see us just like we see them. How we act and react can make a difference in their lives.

We are always Christians. Not just on Sunday morning. Not just when it's convenient. Not just when we think about it. We are Christians -- or else we're not. It's not a mantle we can take on or off. Jesus lives inside us. Period. We carry Him with us in all we do.

So when we berate a clerk for a mistake, when we cut off another driver in traffic, when we're rude to the mother with the out-of-control kid in a crowded store, what are we telling people about Jesus? Because we represent Him. Remember, He lives within us. So how we speak and act shows them Jesus. Scary thought, isn't it?

My cousin has a tag with her church name on the front of her vehicle. She says it makes her think twice when she wants to give a rude driver some of what he probably deserves. Another man, a pastor, took that sticker off his vehicle. He said he worried he'd react without thinking when another driver did something like cut him off. He knows his buttons. And he knows his standard. Jesus set the bar mighty high for all of us.

We sow seeds wherever we are. We show people how a Christian lives. They see kindness and compassion and laughter and peace in the middle of a storm. And they want some of that. They may not know what "that" is but it plants a seed. God is great with seeds.

I remember reading somewhere once that the average person hears the gospel story seven times before coming to believe. We have no idea which encounter will lead a person to hear that story, maybe even hear it from us. God uses all of us to reach the lost. All we have to do is show up and let others see Jesus living within us.