I have been known as the ‘plant lady’ over the years because
of my love for plants and I tend to collect them like some people collect
cats. No offence to the cat collecting
lovers here, but you understand my point.
I have a well-loved shirt that says, “I thought eco-friendly meant
talking to my plants!?” Everyone around me
at the time I wore that shirt knew it represented me with my hands in the dirt
often and plants surrounding my home. I
have constantly felt comfort having plants around me because they signify life
as well as bring oxygen into my home. I
receive joy watching a plant grow and mature over the years. However, I am not as patient planting seeds
to create the plants I have. A well-known
fact that I sometimes ignore is that each plant starts with a seed being
planted into the ground. I love having the
work completed for me and picking up the finished plant at the store.
Planting seeds is such a deep subject. Sorry for the pun but hang with me for a
moment. Whenever we plant seeds into fertile
ground, they can bring joy through beautiful plants, and sometimes food to nourish
our bodies. Spiritually planting seeds
for Christ can bring a harvest to the Kingdom of God. However, planting seeds do not always mean there
will be a harvest. As the parable of the
Sower stated in Luke, some seeds do not germinate due to the environment around
or in them. We just need to plant them in faith.
Planting seeds is also not a guarantee that we are the ones
who see the harvest. Sometimes we are
the planter of the seed, and sometimes we are the ones we see the harvest like
my experience with the plants around my house.
Remember speaking to a loved one about Christ and seeing no
results? That was a seed. The harvest may take days, weeks, or
sometimes years. But have faith the seed
was planted.
Seeds are also very powerful. Remember the mustard seed of faith in Luke 17? Imagine the power of moving mountains with the
faith of a mustard seed? What a word
picture that is. Let that sink in for a
minute. We can plant seeds for Christ
which is the noblest goal. We can plant
seeds of love or hate into others. My
point is that we are always planting seeds even when we don’t realize it. It is a matter of what kind of seeds are we
planting. Are they seeds of joy and encouragement,
or are they seeds of discourse?
What kind of seeds are you planting today?
By the way, I still have the plant shirt…
Luke 17:6 (NIV)
He replied, “If you have faith as small as a mustard seed,
you can say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and planted in the sea,’ and it
will obey you.
2 Corinthians 9:6 (NIV)
Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap
sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously.
Luke 8:5-15 (NIV)
5 “A farmer went out to sow his seed. As he was scattering
the seed, some fell along the path; it was trampled on, and the birds ate it
up. 6 Some fell on rocky ground, and when it came up, the plants withered
because they had no moisture.7Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up with
it and choked the plants.8Still other seed fell on good soil. It came up and
yielded a crop, a hundred times more than was sown.” When he said this, he
called out, “Whoever has ears to hear, let them hear.”
9 His disciples asked him what this parable meant. 10 He
said, “The knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of God has been given to
you, but to others I speak in parables, so that, “ ‘though seeing, they may not
see; though hearing, they may not understand.”
11 “This is the
meaning of the parable: The seed is the word of God. 12 Those along the path
are the ones who hear, and then the devil comes and takes away the word from
their hearts, so that they may not believe and be saved. 13 Those on the rocky
ground are the ones who receive the word with joy when they hear it, but they
have no root. They believe for a while, but in the time of testing they fall
away. 14 The seed that fell among thorns stands for those who hear, but as they
go on their way they are choked by life’s worries, riches and pleasures, and
they do not mature. 15 But the seed on good soil stands for those with a noble
and good heart, who hear the word, retain it, and by persevering produce a
crop.
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