I trust God for greater skill to paint the pictures He has placed in my mind. In my previous post, I talked about the seed as a divine deposit given to you by God, for which you are supposed to take responsibility via stewardship.
Seeds don’t grow overnight, but if you stay committed to the process of growth, a good harvest is sure. Wired into the destiny of every seed is a harvest.
He never forgets a seed in the soil
The crux of the whole gist is still on THE SEED; the concept, truth, reality, and beauty woven into the expression of God as SEED.
However, seeds can also be sown and seen in the place of service, as labours of love for His name sake. The most powerful motivation for service is LOVE. Love is immortal, love is eternal, and the fruits of Love transcends here and now.
If our seeds are not earthly seeds, the manner of growth wouldn’t be of the earth. When we have an eternal perspective towards the seeds given to us to sow (He gives seed to the sower -2 Cor 9:10), the opportunities given to us to serve, our joy would not come from the applause of men or the lack of it.
Instead, our hearts would be secured in the one who has numbered the strands of our hair, who sees every sacrifice, and honours every tough choice we make for his name sake.
John 12:24-26 (NKJV)
24 Most assuredly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it produces much grain.
25 He who loves his life will lose it, and he who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life.
26 If anyone serves Me, let him follow Me; and where I am, there My servant will be also. If anyone serves Me, him My Father will honor. (NKJV)
Let’s see another translation.
John 12:24-26 (Passion Translation)
24 Let Me make this clear: A single grain of wheat will never be more than a single grain of wheat unless it drops into the ground and dies. Because then it sprouts and produces a great harvest of wheat—all because one grain died.
25“The person who loves his life and pampers himself will miss true life! But the one who detaches his life from this world and abandons himself to Me will find true life and enjoy it forever!
26 If you want to be My disciple, follow Me and you will go where I am going. And if you truly follow Me as My disciple, the Father will shower His favor upon your life.
A life lived as a seed, sown into the purpose of God would inherit an eternal harvest of rewards. Christ is the first true seed sown, and of the increase of the harvest of that seed there shall be no end. For all eternity, we would keep seeing the harvest of that costly seed that was sown into the earth for the sake of man.
The question is, would the sum of your life end in this limited space or would your life find eternal relevance in God?
Relevance in the kingdom is in the place of abandonment to His heart. How much of your life would you invest into an eternal course? I am not calling you to join the five fold, or heed the call to ministry, as we would define ministry. I am saying turn aside, and joyfully give yourself to anything and everything that brings Him Joy.
In John 12:26, Jesus said those who serve HIM would be honoured by the Father. Our curriculum of service differs. The demand of service from our lives would be according to what has been invested in us and the investment for us.
I find no pleasure harvesting vegetables, after toiling over a maize seed. When I planted that maize seed, I envisioned a harvest in the order of what has been sown.
I am fascinated by a recurring phrase in the book of Revelations; Jesus kept telling the churches “I know your works”. Every labour for His name would not go unrewarded.
Though you sow in secret, He is a Father who has got His dwelling in the secret too (Matt 6:6), no seed would miss his loving gaze.
For me, sometimes the truth that God sees every seed is enough comfort for me. He sees me, that is enough. Every other thing flows from there.
Our labours are for His Name, not your name nor denomination, neither is it for your gratification.
It’s amazing how powerful we become when our motivation is Love. Every labour that is propelled by Love is significant to God.
The Lord told his disciples that those who lose their lives for His name, who invest their lives into pleasing Him, would find a harvest of true life.
You don’t have to lead a congregation to live a life abandoned to Him. Let the highest call of your life be to please Him, and let Him lead you according to the script He has written concerning you.
A life sown as a seed is honourable. Beneath the debris of passing norms and ways of men, there lies a power to change the course of many for all eternity – Seed.
Where would you rather reap your seed? In the fleeting award of human applause, or the loving gaze of the One who deserves your all and much more?
Remember, He never forgets a seed in the soil.
Keep sowing.
Omo Oba.