I don’t have a green thumb, do you?
I mean, I love flowers, their colors, and their smells. But to plant and care for them? For that I have no talent. I even kill my artificial flowers!
In a Sunday School Class recently we studied planting. It was the parable of the seed from Mark chapter 4. As Christ himself explained it, the seed is the Word and the different types of soil are the different types of hearers we will encounter. The emphasis of this lesson though was on the work of the sower: our work of sharing the Gospel, planting the seed, which is the Word of God in the hearts of those God brings into our lives. Here is what God brought out to me:
- Planting a seed is something we do on purpose, with planning, preparation, and forethought. I must prepare and plan to plant the seed of the Word in someone’s life. I must be aware of and create opportunities to share Christ with others.
- Planting a seed requires tools and resources. I must have the right spiritual tools to prepare the soil for planting (love, kindness, patience, longsuffering, gentleness, humbleness, etc. Galatians 5:22-23). Unless a fruit is mature itself, it cannot give seed to sow the next generation.
- A seed that is planted requires regular attention. I must follow up on the seed that God allows me to plant, care for it, water it, nurture it. Speaking to someone once is usually not enough, I must follow up with regular care.
- My God-given assignment is to prepare, to sow, to water, and to care, greenthumb or not. I must be faithful in my labors. However, it is still my Lord who grows the seed and ultimately gives the harvest.
I Corinthians 3:6-8, I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase. So then neither is he that planteth any thing, neither he that watereth; but God that giveth the increase. Now he that planteth and he that watereth are one: and every man shall receive his own reward according to his own labour.