So in this weeks blog I wanted to continue from The Parable of the Four Soils that we looked at last Wednesday but to take time to focus on the idea of planting seeds.
In the parable of the four soils Jesus use the seeds to represent the word of God. If we take the idea of the seed being what we preach then we can substitute the seed for whatever it is we are saying/preaching or the message we are sending. It's really important for us to consider what kind of seeds we are sowing.
If we plant apple seeds then we will grow apple trees, but if we plant thorn bush seeds then we will grow thorn bushes. Essentially, what we say and do is important as it dictates what kind of seeds we are planting.
Galatians 6:7 (New International Version)
7 Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows.
This verse from Galatians teaches us that we reap what we sow. It seems like a very straightforward concept that you would reap what you sow in terms of planting seeds. But it's something that we are all too forgetful of in terms of sowing the word of God, we are often quick to speak and sow bad seeds without thought.
James 3 teaches us about taming the tongue, this is something we need to pay particular attention to when we are considering what kind of seeds we are sewing.
The second thing that I want to draw attention to is this verse in Corinthians:
2 Corinthians 9:6 (New International Version)
6 Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously.
The context of this verse is talking about generosity but I want to look at it from the perspective of preaching God's word. The more we preach God's word, the more we have to reap. If people have never heard the word of God then we can't 'harvest' their fruits. It's important that we plant as many seeds as possible with our time, now this doesn't mean that we let the quality of the seeds slip and plant some thorn bushes mixed in with our apple trees. Like we've already looked at above, it's important that we are planting the correct seeds.
Take some time this week to think about what kind of seeds you are planting and think about what opportunities you might have to sow seeds. Make sure you don't let them slip by!
I pray that we may all have the boldness to speak the word of God in to the lives of those around us.
Have a blessed week!