If you have ever had the opportunity to spend any time on a farm, the chances are you may have seen cows, sheep or pigs. Maybe you remember seeing a tractor, horses, hay bales and even some row crops, like corn or wheat or cotton. In fact, if you have ever driven north on Interstate 75 through Georgia, no doubt, you have probably seen acres and acres of cotton fields or even soybean fields.
During my life, it seems I am always amazed at those fields of cotton or corn. All the rows seem perfectly aligned, waiting for just the right harvest time when the "fruit" of their stocks is picked and taken away to be delivered to our local grocery store or farmers market where we'll pick through the crop to find the best for us.
Isn't that fascinating? Think about it. We can take a few relatively tiny seeds, plant them into soil, add some water, and in a little while after germinating, we see a sprout. This sprout begins to grow taller and larger until it becomes large enough to bear some type of fruit. Interestingly, there are times when the fruit of a seed turns out pretty badly. Maybe it's ugly or bad fruit or a bad vegetable. Perhaps the trunk of a tree grows awkwardly crooked. For whatever reason, the outcome was not the most desired.
In the bible, Jesus told a parable about seeds and planting. This parable is also referred to as the Parable of the Sower and it's found in the book of Matthew, chapter 13. He started by telling of how a farmer scattered seeds and then began describing the kinds of places the seed landed. Not surprisingly, those locations dictated the future outcome of the seeds.
Jesus' parable gives us some insight into several things that, when we closely examine and apply some principles, can dramatically change the outcome of our lives.
1. Throughout your life, you will plant some kind of seed
The sooner in life that you realize that seeds are not necessarily actual tangible seeds you may hold in your hand, the sooner your harvest can increase. Seeds can be the intangible things like attitude, a good deed, looking beyond someone's ignorance in a matter and others. Becoming intentional about sowing these kinds of seeds into the lives of others will begin to produce the desired crops all of us want.
2. Seeds can be good or bad
A bad attitude can also be a seed. In fact, this kind of seed will also produce a predictable crop. Making fun of someone is another seed. Bullying is a seed. Jealousy is a seed. All different types of attitudes and behaviors can be seeds. What kind of harvest are you wanting? The answer to that question will determine the kind of seed you should be planting!
3. Pay attention to the kind of soil you plant your seed
Sometimes it's simply the kind of soil that determines the outcome of the crop. Often, in spite of the good, even incredible seed you may be planting, there can be a bad harvest because the soil you put it in wasn't ready for the seed. Jesus spoke about weeds popping up and choking out the tender plant as it grows. That's the same thing that happens sometimes in the lives of someone unprepared to accept the seed.
4. Planting seed in good soil will typically produce a good crop
This seems obvious. But often in the life of someone with what is called a mercy gift, there is an inordinate amount of time spent on sowing seed into the life of someone not ready to receive it. In fact, it may even be someone hostile to receiving it. The simple adage that, if you want a good harvest, plant seed into good soil is very true. The sooner you learn this, the less time you may waste.
Start observing more about the seeds you are planting and measure the crops you're harvesting. You may be surprised how much more success you begin seeing in your life!