Let’s say you own a farm, and it’s time to put seed in the ground. You drive to the local feed store, and purchase a large quantity of seeds … 60,000 seeds to be exact. You head home and you put all 60,000 seeds into the ground. What kind of seeds are you planting? Well, let’s say that 10 of them are seeds to apple trees … and 59,990 of them are seeds to thorn bushes.
What happens next?
Well, immediately, NOTHING happens next. The seed lies underground … and is unseen for a season. You water and fertilize, but for a time no plants are visible.
While the seeds are underground, you begin to think about the crop you want to enjoy when the harvest comes. You know that you HATE thorn bushes and you LOVE apples. You start hoping that when the plants spring up from the ground, you will have LOTS of apples, and virtually NO thorn bushes. When your friends come over and see your empty but unsown field, they will ask what you are growing this year. You will proudly say APPLES! This will be the finest apple orchard in all of East Norman!!
Then, at the appropriate time for these plants, the seeds will bring forth shoots from the ground … eventually the shoots become stalks, then the stalks become trunks, then trunks begin to look like trees and bushes … and finally the trees and bushes begin to show forth their fruit. At that point, your field will reveal a sea of thorns, not apples. Surprise!
Actually, not a surprise. This should have been expected. It is simple science. In this universe, if you sow the seeds of thorn bushes, you do not end up with many apples.
Now, most of you are not farmers. Most of you would never buy 60,000 seeds of anything. But you ALL will plant 60,000 “seeds” someplace in the next year. At least.
- There are nearly 9,000 hours in the year ahead … where will you “plant” them?
- If you have a job that makes $51,000 annually … you will invest each of those dollars in something.
Together, your time and money represent opportunities for growth in the year ahead. The question is, how will you put them into the ground? After all, whatever you plant, will also be what you harvest.
If you invest your time and money this year in your flesh, then expect a thorny crop. However, if you invest your time and money in the Spirit’s work, and love others … you can have a hope of a delicious harvest.
Each day we act … but each day we do not necessarily harvest. Small decisions today do not immediately reveal their fruit. Like a seed sown, patience is required to see it bloom. But eventually all around will see what tree you are actually tapped into.
As Christians, we want lots of Apples … I mean Fruits of the Spirit! We long to have our friends look on our lives and recognize us as a Spiritually mature person. You want the vineyard of your life to be the finest in all of East Norman (or wherever you live), and you want your friends, family, and neighbors to be nourished off of the good fruit in your life. But how does that happen?
It happens by sowing the right seed today. Where will you plant your 60,000?
This Sunday at Wildwood Community Church, we will be in part 2 of our “New Love” sermon series as we look at Galatians 6:6-10. Make plans to join us in our 8:30, 9:45, or 11:00 worship services (or online in the stream!) Hope to see you there … and bring friends!