‘Give and it will be given unto you. Full measure, pressed
down, shaken together and running over will be poured into your lap. For with
the measure you use to give it will be measured back to you’. (Luke 6:38)
Introduction
Life
is all about seed sowing and reaping. Everything in life starts with a seed,
including the things we spiritually receive by faith. Our rewards in life will
always be in the exact proportion to our contributions. Every act of our lives
is like a living seed – it produces after its own kind. Every act
of life, however trivial, remains like the seed to sprout and grow, and produce
influences whose far-reaching effects can scarcely be dreamed. ‘If there is any
one law of the universe emphasized over and above all others, said Marden, ‘It
is that like produces like everywhere and always. The harvest from our thoughts
is just as much the result of law as that of the farmer’s sowing. Seed corn can
only produce corn. A man’s achievement is the harvest, big or small, beautiful
or blighted, abundant or scarce, according to the character of the thoughts he
has sown.’[1]
The Power of a Seed
God
is the Creator and Owner and we are stewards of His gifts, graces and
blessings. As stewards of God’s blessings and resources, we can sow the
seed or lock it away out of fear. The choice is ours! The seed,
though small, insignificant and negligible thing has great potentials and power
for growth, development, fruitfulness and productivity given the right
soil, manure, oxygen and water. So, the power of a seed sown in fertile soil
should never be underestimated. We cannot expect a crop without scattering the
seed. What a man sows, he will reap. There is nothing like it. It is so
powerful that Jesus said: ‘If you have faith like a mustard seed, you could
move mountains. No one is foolish as to think that he can cheat nature. If he
plants rice he does not expect to get potatoes; apple seeds and expect to reap
oranges, and olive tree will not bear figs or a rosebush yield wheat. God works
in our hearts and through the seeds we sow, He wants us to consider
thoughtfully our current circumstances, our life, potentials, finances and
blessings, and sow good seeds of faith, hope and charity.
The Seed of the Word of God
Seed
sowing is absolutely crucial in our lives as Christians. God wants us to reap
from what we sow. Saint Paul said: ‘Do not be deceived; God is not mocked. For
whatever one sows, that will he also reap’ (Galatians 6:7). The Word of God is designated in Scripture
as seed. We primarily have a duty of spreading the Word and watching it grow. Our
hearts were created by God to bring forth fruit when His Word is planted in
them. Just as a seed has remain in the ground over time to germinate, so the Word
of God has to abide in us (John 15:7). A further reference to the Word of God being like a seed that men can
sow into their hearts is Isaiah 55:10 'As the rain and snow come down from
heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and
flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, so is
my Word that goes out from my mouth.'
When
we open our hearts and plant our seed, great and amazing rewards are guaranteed
now and in the life to come. When we give and share, we rightfully acknowledge
God’s power and greatness, opening ourselves up to limitless joy and peace that
comes from trusting God. Scripture tells us that those who sow generously with
faith, can expect to reap generously
and receive a bountiful return. So, begin sowing in faith now. When we allow
the Word of God to be grafted in our hearts, our lives would become
fruitful in every good word and work.
Seeds
of the flesh
If you planted the seeds of sin in your life,
what would grow? The answer is so obvious. Many of us freely engage in wrong
activities even as Christians and are shocked and dismayed to discover the
disastrous results that always follow. We are surprised probably because we
never actually think ourselves as planting seeds of sin; rather we see
ourselves as having a good time. Seeds of the flesh are bad seeds and
trademark of Satan – negative words, gossip, unforgiveness, immorality, rape,
murder, theft, hatred and the like. The good we think we are getting turns sour
before we can fully enjoy it. The devil can offer us no lasting joy; but serves
up only lies and destruction. So, beware of the seeds of sin! Let us ask
ourselves: Are we planting seeds of the flesh or seeds of the spirit? Do we
want to reap the consequences of sin, or want a harvest of spiritual fruit? Let
us ask the Lord to help us demolish all hindrances and false self-protective
barriers of our lives.
Seeds
of the Spirit
Seeds of the Spirit are good seeds of prayer,
purity, faithfulness, obedience, loyalty, modesty, holiness, righteousness,
love, peace, forgiveness, truthfulness and goodness. A person who sows failure
thoughts can no more reap a success harvest than the farmer can get a wheat
crop from thistles. If we sow optimistic seed, the harmony, health, purity, truth
thoughts, the thoughts of abundance and prosperity, of confidence and
assurance, we would reap a corresponding harvest; but if we sow discord, we
would reap discordant conditions. For the one who sows to his own flesh will
from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from
the Spirit reap eternal life (Galatians 6:8). There is simply no comparison
between the two option. So, take a first step today and sow seeds of faith and
goodness.
Mixed
Seeds
This is the mixture of good and bad seeds.
Christians who do witchcraft and are involved in syncretism and occultism and
still go to Church. They have divided commitment as a result of worldly
temptation and attraction, and do not submit totally to God’s power and
Sovereignty. The consequences of rejection are far too dangerous, and the
benefits of saying yes wholeheartedly to God are beyond what you can imagine
(Ephesians 3:20). We must remember that there is no greater privilege than
knowing God, and no greater tragedy than failing to develop a relationship with
Him.
The
Seed Faith Principle
Sowing Seeds of Faith is all about
offering seeds of encouragement and hope. Seeds not sown with faith becomes
rotten and dries up. The Seed Faith Principle
invites us to:
·
Recognize
that God is the Source:“My God shall supply all your need according to
his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:19). From the
very beginning, God’s aim was to bless us so extravagantly that we could
demonstrate to the world that we don’t need anyone but Jesus to support us. He
is our Source. He is the One who enriches us in all things. He is the Lord of
the Harvest!
·
Give first so that
it may be given to us: “Give, and it shall be given unto you.” (Luke
6:38). We must first plant a seed of faith so that God can multiply it back to
meet our need. Jesus is talking about the giving of ourselves, love, time, talents,
patience, forgiveness, finances, prayer, whatever we have. Our giving reflects
our trust in God and our thankfulness. Sadly, so many of us treat our God given
wealth more like a personal reservoir than a divine channel. Beware and do
not be a reluctant, lukewarm, stingy or tightfisted giver. As God pours in,
we must cheerfully pour out with full confidence that He will provide for both
our needs and our gifts. He wants the bounty that He pours out on His children
to overflow towards others ( 2 Corinthians 9:6-12).
·
Have great Expectation
of a miracle: “Whatever things you
ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them.”
(Mark 11:24). The moment we ask God for something—the moment we do our part and
plant our seed of faith—we should believe God that the answer is on its way. The
devil makes us think that our seeds are buried and forgotten. But God never
forgets a seed. He never counts it out. He always multiplies the seed sown,
then He goes looking for someone with faith enough to harvest it. Be that
harvester!
How
much, where and when do I give?
Perhaps, we may be wondering how much do we
give of our time, resources and talents? Where and when do we give? Holy
Scripture provides an answer: ‘Each man should give what he has decided in His
heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful
giver (2 Corinthians 9:7). He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food
will supply and multiply your seed for sowing and increase the harvest of your
righteousness (2 Cor. 9:10). Andy Stanley in his book Fields of Gold
noted that: ‘It is very motivating and inspiring when we approach giving like
stewards. Whether times are good or bad, we give faithfully to God of all
earthly treasures who want to involve us in distributing His wealth. Therefore,
we should honor God with the first portion of our income instead of giving Him
leftovers.’[2]
Conclusion
There is no question about the processes of
sowing and reaping. There is an absolutely inexorable law: ‘like must
produce like’ and ‘Whatever you sow, that will
you also reap’. Isaac sowed in that land and reaped in the
same year a hundredfold. The Lord blessed him, and the
man became rich, and gained more and more until he became very wealthy (Genesis
26:12-13). As Christians, we are invited to be delightful children and stewards
with a heart for God, growing in faith and trusting Him for supply and
provision. He is the Owner, and we are just Stewards. If we have the sharing,
giving and forgiving spirit, we shall ourselves reap the benefits beyond our
human imagination. So, sow a seed of faith today!
Rev
Fr Michael Adefemi Adegbola, Director, Media Service Centre Kaduna, Nigeria
2013.
