Practical Living

Sow A Seed Today

What’s your occupation? People usually respond to this question with a description of their work — what they do for a living. While our business occupations are important to God, there is an occupation that should be foremost in the heart and mind of every Christian believer. In whatever we do, God has called us to be Kingdom seed sowers.

To help us to understand this responsibility, Jesus gave us a parable. As a quick sidebar, the word parable comes from two Greek words which, when used together means “to throw alongside.” Jesus, wanting us to understand significant principles in His Kingdom, would often “throw alongside them” a story or illustration to help us grasp the truth He was teaching.

In Matthew 13 we find a great story or parable that is very familiar to most believers. It is often referred to as “The Parable of the Sower.” While there are many lessons in Jesus’ illustration, at the heart of the parable is call to you and me. Take a look at how the story begins:

“A farmer went out to sow his seed.” – Matthew 13:3

Without taking time to explain all aspects of this teaching , there are three main parts of the parable that we need to understand:

• The seed that is sown — which is the good seed of God’s Word.
• The farmer who sows the seed — you and me; followers of Jesus Christ.
• The soil that receives the seed — the hearts of people in whom the seed is sown.

Let’s zero in on our responsibility. Jesus wants all of us to be fully engaged in the process of sowing good seed in other people’s lives. Jesus doesn’t ask us to inspect the soil before we sow Kingdom seed, He simply says, “Sow!” We are to be “broadcasters” of the seed of God’s love and good news everywhere we go.

How do we do this?

Sowing good seed is not complicated. We sow by giving a warm smile to someone who is discouraged, by speaking healing words to someone who is in pain, by being kind to people around us, by bearing burdens for people who are overwhelmed, and by sharing the hope of Jesus when we have an opportunity.

What’s your occupation? Are you living every day as a Kingdom farmer, sowing good seed in the lives of the people God has placed in your life?

Go sow some good seed today!

Dale O'Shields

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