The Power of a Seed
Anil was studying for his HND in electrical engineering. As part of his diploma, he spent two days a week in college. One of the guys on his course was a Christian. There were tell-tale signs – he always seemed to talk kindly about others and conducted himself with an unusual integrity. He also said small things about his faith and every week, without fail he’d ask Anil, “what are you doing this Sunday?”. Anil would reply: “Nothing.” So, when asked if he would like to come to church, it became a running joke in the group when Anil responded with a consistent “No”.
Stephen didn’t like his A Level English class. But he enjoyed chatting with Josh who sat next to him. Josh loved football and cricket, it was also clear that Josh loved and knew Jesus. Sometimes they would talk about the bigger things in life – Stephen was a thinker, but it never seemed to go further than a conversation every now and again.
Do these scenarios sound familiar? Do you know the feeling when you’re trying to share the beauty of Jesus with a close friend, a relative – or someone you sit with at college yet are met with apathy, hostility or indifference?
I can relate to that feeling.
It’s exhausting. It’s exhausting to pray your guts out, seek an open door, find the Spirit-filled courage to say something and…the conversation falls flat. Or is met with a blank expression.
It can be exhausting to keep putting yourself out there yet see no apparent fruit. It can make me think, ‘why bother?’
Sometimes, I may be tempted to question the power of the Gospel altogether.
Anyone else been there?
When thoughts like these set in (and oh how crafty the enemy is when they do), we need to be reminded of a power at work that we can’t see:
“This is what the kingdom of God is like. A man scatters seed on the ground. Night and day, whether he sleeps or gets up, the seed sprouts and grows, though he does not know how. All by itself the soil produces grain – first the stalk, then the head, then the full kernel in the head. As soon as the grain is ripe, he puts the sickle to it, because the harvest has come.” Mark 4:26-29
Let’s revisit the stories we started with…
One day, Anil’s Mum mentioned that she would like to go to church for a Christmas service. Anil of course knew a friend who could recommend somewhere. They went along (Anil had to go – he was the driver), they both enjoyed it, signed up for follow-up courses and have since both come to personal faith in Jesus and been baptised. Anil went on to study Applied Theology.
Recently, after much Googling, Stephen found Josh’s email and got in touch – t w e n t y f i v e y e a r s since they both left sixth form(!) Stephen’s wife had sadly been diagnosed with cancer and he wanted to ask Josh if he wouldn’t mind praying for her. Stephen and Josh have since met up, chatted about sixth form days, been able to talk about all they are going through and had significant conversations about the hope of the Gospel.
There is power in a seed.
Who knows what’s going on behind a blank expression or a fiery come-back?
Who knows what’s happening now or will happen one day that we can’t see!?
Heavenly Father,
Thank you that you have brought me out of the kingdom of darkness and brought me into the Kingdom of the Son you love.
Thank you that you bring me into what you’re doing, even when I can’t see it.
Father, please help me to be a Kingdom sower. Would every seed sown be blessed and one day sprout into spiritual life. Especially in those around me who seem so far away right now.
Please fill us with courage, compassion and perseverance Lord. In who you are, in what you’re doing, in what may happen one day.
May we never lose sight of the power of the Gospel and the power of a seed sown.
Shake us from apathy, shape us into your likeness and Lord we pray, may your Kingdom come.
We pray these things In the mighty name of Jesus,
Amen
Claire is part of the Festive team. She lives by the sea with her husband and two children. They have perfected the art of eating Dominos on the beach as their son has developed his own seagull-defence-martial-art-skills to save their dinner!