"The best time to plant an oak tree was 25 years ago...the next best time is now!” - James Carville
How often have you heard this statement; “I am planting seeds for the Kingdom”? Often this is said when we do not receive the response we were hoping to receive from someone in whom we are investing our lives—someone we are mentoring. The thought behind this statement is that we are showing others glimpses of our Christ-life (seeds) by what we say and do in a way that allows them to ponder what this faith-life is all about.
Let me ask you a question: Does God grow a tomato plant if the gardener simply plants a seed and leaves it alone? He can, after all God is the One that causes the growth, but if the gardener plants the seed, fertilizes it and waters it, the fruit (yes tomato's are a fruit) can grow quickly and more abundantly! Why? When we join God in His work, the fruit (growth) is so much sweeter. His desire is to be in relationship with His most magnificent creation (us), so when we join Him in His work, for His glory, the results are beautiful!
Unfortunately, planting seeds alone will result in few people growing in the saving faith of Jesus Christ. When we plant seeds by living out our faith in all we do, we can then water those seeds by investing time in the other, building them up, giving of ourselves and our time for the sake of another (in other words, mentoring)...and ultimately, God does a miraculous and beautiful thing—He grows us both up! How incredible is that!
1Corinthians 3:6—I (Paul) planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God made it grow.
There are times when we may plant a seed, and a fellow Christ-follower comes along side that seed and waters it. It doesn’t matter who plants or waters; what matters is they both happen! We can hinder the growth God desires if we only plant seeds...so this week while you are planting some seeds, go ahead and throw some water on it and just watch what God causes to grow! It’s a beautiful thing!
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