Five Commandments For Sowers

Thomas F. Fischer, M.Div, M.S.A.

Number 237

Jesus used parables to describe the gracious and creative activity of God in the world. These parables have insights for every one in the Kingdom and for every ministry as well. One of the most common "likenings" Jesus used for the Kingdom was that of a seed. It's preparation, planting, growth and harvest all vividly exemplify the passions that Christ calls everyone in the Kingdom to possess and practice.

The Five Commandments

1) Plant The Seed

 

Do it orderly, recklessly, one-by-one or dump the whole bag. It doesn't matter. Plant the seed. Don't worry if it might burn up. Don't worry if it won't grow. Don't worry if the birds will eat some of it. Don't worry about the weeds. That's not your place. That's not your passion. If you do, your fretting, planning, organization and toil will not be able to help the seed. Besides, if you do, it will divert your passion from your number one passion.  Just plant the seed!

 

2) Let God Work

 

Take a nap. Go to bed. Sleep...really soundly. Once you plant the seed, don't wait around for the seed to grow. Just plant more seed. At the end of the day, go to sleep. Staying up late at night won't do anything for the seed. It just makes you more restless, irritable, depressed, anxious and less passionate to do what you're supposed to do: Plant Seeds.

 

Sleep tight knowing that you could die and the seed would still grow. So what if it blows your ego. If it does, it should! Why? Because the seed doesn't depend on you. It depends on God.

 

Remember, your passion is not making the seed grow. Your passion is planting seeds...and letting God do the rest!

 

3) Put Up With The Weeds

 

The strong seeds will grow, the others won't. Don't worry. Of course, it's not that you aren't concerned or that you should be apathetic. It's just that the seeds' growth is not dependent on you.

 

Weeds, threats, droughts, storms, predators will all come to eat or destroy the seeds. Though it may dissapoint you, it's not your concern. Though your harvest may not be as big as the neighbors, don't worry. Don't give it a second thought. After all, it's not your harvest anyway!

 

Again, what is your passion? It's planting seeds, remember? Don't be a perfectionistic weed eating control-freak. The weeds aren't your enemy. It's your focusing on the weeds that gives them power to disillusion and embitter you. Don't loose your passion. Put up with the weeds. It's just part of God's plan. Just focus on the seeds, stupid. Remember, it's the seeds. The seeds! Ah, yes, the seeds!!!

 

4) Let Growth Occur As God Gives

 

Seeds will grow  but not always in nice rows like you wanted. Did you plant the seeds in rows? Shame on you. Didn't you know that's not to be your passion? So what if it's not perfect? So what if it's not as efficient, business-like, or appealing. What do you think you are, in a garden club? No, you're a seed planter.

 

God didn't call you to plant straight rows, beautiful rows, or awe-inspiring colorfully coordinated rows. He called you to plant seeds...lots of seeds...all over the place.

 

Did you forget God's passion for you...again? Maybe a little quasi-Seussian "ditty" will help you to remember!

"Seeds"
By Thomas F. Fischer-Seuss

Seeds, seeds, seeds,
How many seeds I meet.
Seeds at my right feet,
Seeds at my left feet,
Oh, my! Oh, my!
I wonder how many, many more of God's seeds
I can throw in my next seed sweep!

5) Be Confident! The Harvest Will Come

 

It may be big. It may be small. There may be lots or none at all. The harvest may be wiped out, drowned, burned, drought-ed, trampled on, who knows. But it may be big, too. It doesn't matter. That's up to God!

 

My passion is to plant seeds and wait for the harvest. The harvest will come...in its time and in the amount God has chosen. How big will the harvest be? Will there be lots or little?

 

Oh, whatever the results, it will be exciting to see what God can do with someone who just throws seeds. Of course, there's nothing as exciting as my greatest passion, planting seeds!

 

"I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God made it grow. So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow."     I Corinthians 3:6-7 NIV

Thomas F. Fischer

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