The Power of a Seed
The parable of the sower has been shared and taught throughout generations. Because Jesus explained the parable, we know exactly what its meaning is. Not all who hear the gospel respond the same. Not all who respond with excitement and joy remain strong and connected. The struggles of life choke the spiritual life from our hearts if our roots are not anchored into Christ. Despite all this, the seed remains.
Seeds are a remarkable thing. They hold all the information needed to create a plant exactly like the one from which it came. Nothing changes this truth. The soil may vary, but the plant will always be the same. Changing the acidity of the soil might alter the color of the flower, but it will still produce the exact same fruit. What a beautiful truth for you and me to grasp. We are the soil. How we receive the seed determines the health of the plant it produces, but we cannot alter the fruit which comes forth.
Inside each of us, when we accept Jesus as our Lord and welcome the Holy Spirit, resides all the seeds of righteousness. They are already there, waiting to burst forth in full bloom. Galatians 5:22-23 tells us exactly what God will bring forth in our lives. It says, “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.” The DNA of these qualities does not come from our own hearts. On our own, we can produce only a poor mimic of these characteristics. It is only because of the Holy Spirit working through our lives that our fruit begins to grow. Remember, we are only the soil. Our job is to embrace the seed, not control it.
Another fascinating fact about seeds can be found in their longevity. Seeds which have been found frozen for thousands of years under the ice of glaciers have produced flowers the earth has not witnessed since mammoths roamed. Seeds stored away in ancient tombs of pharaohs have been planted to grow trees unlike any still thriving today. Time does not alter the truth of the seed. Even if nothing in the world appears similar to it, its structure and fruit remain the same as it was in the beginning. Neither does the gospel change to meet the ideals of current generations.
We need to stop trying to control the seed. We simply do not have the power to do so. Instead, let us remember that we are not the Gardener. That privilege will forever remain in the hands of God. We do not create the seed. The seed molds us, uses us, and betters us. The seed will not grow fruit different than the ones God ordained it to. Simply wishing or pretending that a lemon seed will grow oranges will only leave us shocked at the end result. Let us nurture the seed in our own lives and produce fruit which creates more seeds to be planted in the lives of those around us.
(Written by Keegan Harkins.)
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