We’re heading into planting season, and this will be my first year planting a full-fledged, on-the-ground garden in the state of Alabama! I’m so excited to get started, and Chris graciously took up the previous owner’s garden bed and is reconfiguring it so that I can have a few beds rather than one big space. I’ll be ready to go any day!
Now that you know how excited I am about this, let me acknowledge that I generally kill most plants. For those who read my previous blog on gardening, I’ll remind you that I only tried gardening for the first time last year. I kill most houseplants. In fact, Emily doesn’t know it yet, but I’ve already killed one of the plants in the pot she gave me as a birthday gift in September by over watering it. (Sorry, Emily!) I want so badly to grow fresh veggies so that we can eat what I’ve grown myself, but I’m already in worry mode that I’m going to kill it all off; we’ll be destined to eat Piggly Wiggly lettuce and tomatoes for the rest of our lives!
Aren’t we blessed that our Heavenly Father is a Master Gardener!? We are called to spread the good news to all people. The good news is the gospel of Jesus Christ! People all over the world need to know that Jesus came down to earth, died on the cross for our sins and rose from the grave on the third day. They need to accept the gift of salvation.
And He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation.” –Mark 16:15
Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to follow all that I commanded you; and behold, I am with you always, to the end of age. –Matthew 28:19-20
That can be nerve-wracking! Reaching out to people and sharing God’s gift can cause anxiousness out of a fear of rejection. It’s scary to feel as if we are responsible for leading people to the Lord and helping them grow in their relationship with God once they’ve accepted Christ as their personal Savior. However, God tells us in the bible that we are to plant the seed, but that it’s God that causes it to grow!
Paul wrote to the church in Corinth about this very thing. He let them know that he planted the seed by preaching the good news and getting them established, Apollos had watered it by continued teaching and encouragement, but that God was what caused the growth.
So then neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but God who causes the growth. –I Corinthians 3:7
Isn’t that comforting!? Our job is to tell everyone the joyous news of our God-plant the seed. Once they accept the free gift of salvation, we can encourage them as they dig in to the Word-water the plant. But God will grow them in the knowledge of the Truth. He is the one who will deepen their relationship with Him.
We don’t need to be afraid to plant the seed, sweet friends! We can be delighted in the fact that we are doing what God has called us to do. He will do the rest!
I encourage you to reach out to at least one person this week and share the gospel. Plant the seed so that God may tend His garden.
~Erin
Iron Porch 