Planting the Seed

I do not have a green thumb. Actually, putting myself in the same sentence with the words, "green thumb" is an insult to plant enthusiasts. And believe me, it is not for lack of trying that I fail in this department. I would love to have a garden full of blossoming flowers to walk through in summer afternoons, it just hasn't ever really worked out that way. There are too many variables for me to keep track of: soil that can't be too rocky, weeds that seem to grow in my yard just fine (sure, these I can grow!), water that has to be just enough but not too much, seeds that can't have sat in my kitchen drawer for five years. The list is endless.

While thinking of my gardening woes, I happened to come across a Bible verse about a totally different type of seed:

Matthew 8:5-8 says, "The sower went out to sow his seed; and as he sowed, some fell beside the road, and it was trampled under foot and the birds of the air ate it up.

"Other seed fell on rocky soil, and as soon as it grew up, it withered away, because it had no moisture.

"Other seed fell among the thorns; and the thorns grew up with it and choked it out.

"Other seed fell into the good soil, and grew up, and produced a crop a hundred times as great."

Okay, well this certainly sounds like my personal planting dilemma. So I read on:

Matthew 8:11-15 says, "Now the parable is this: the seed is the word of God.

"Those beside the road are those who have heard; then the devil comes and takes away the word from their heart, so that they will not believe and be saved.

"Those on the rocky soil are those who, when they hear, receive the word with joy; and these have no firm root; they believe for a while, and in time of temptation fall away.

"The seed which fell among the thorns, these are the ones who have heard, and as they go on their way they are choked with worries and riches and pleasures of this life, and bring no fruit to maturity.

"But the seed in the good soil, these are the ones who have heard the word in an honest and good heart, and hold it fast, and bear fruit with perseverance."

Now this type of planting has always caused me a bit of stress. It is hard to talk with strangers or loved ones about God when you aren't sure what their responses will be. Yet we are commanded by God to be a light for Him, certainly we should desire to be a witness for His kingdom.

In talking about this with my husband, he really brought something to light for me that has eased my hesitation. He asked me what I was worried about when entering a situation where I feel led to share the gospel.

"Well, I'm worried that I won't do well enough and I will fail."

"And what does it mean to fail?" he asked.

"The person I am witnessing to won't accept Christ as his or her Savior," I replied.

His next words changed the way I view evangelism. He said, "That's not your job."

What? What do you mean not my job? I'm supposed to sow the seed, water it, give it the right soil, prune it, take away the weeds, remove the insects, and then hope I get to watch it grow into a beautiful plant, right?

Wrong. That might be what we are supposed to do when gardening, but it isn't what we are supposed to do when planting for the Kingdom.

God calls us to deliver His message to the people, but He doesn't call us to change their hearts. That's His job.

"So then neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but God who causes the growth." (1 Corinthians 3:7 NASB)

If we witness to a hundred people, and only two of them accept Christ as their Savior, we have done our job as well as if all of them accepted Him. He calls us to spread His gospel. We are rewarded when we obey.

It's amazing how much this truth has freed me to share my faith with people. Before, I would wait until I knew I had a good relationship with someone before broaching the subject. Now, I find ways to insert God into conversations with cashiers, telemarketers, anyone who has a moment of time. Because by doing that, I planted a seed, and that's what my Father asks of me.

So this year, I took a different approach with my gardening. I didn't wait for the perfect conditions, I just did my best.

Guess who has a beautiful orange pumpkin growing in her backyard?