Sowing Spiritual Seeds and the Four Soils

 

I shuffled from the bed to the bathroom sink—my mind already consumed by the demands of a lengthy to-do list. Instead of offering a kind word of encouragement to my husband as he left for work, I grumbled about the early hour and planted a seed of irritation in the soil of my husband’s heart. Every day, God gives us opportunities to sow spiritual seeds into the lives of others.

Some of these, like faith, love, exhortation, and peace, are beautiful and God-honoring. Others are self-serving—avarice, hate, vengefulness, division—and impatience.

What does the Bible teach about sowing good seed?

Every day, God gives us opportunities to sow spiritual seeds into the lives of others. #spiritualseeds Click To Tweet

Principles the Bible Teaches About Sowing Spiritual Seeds

God Supplies the Seed

Earlier this week while listening to  The Christian Publishing Show, author Asheritah CiuCiu said, “We were not made for greatness. We were made to glorify God.” I’m reminded of her words when I read 2 Corinthians 9:10 which comments on the sower’s stock.

”Now may He who supplies seed to the sower, and bread for food, supply and multiply the seed you have sown and increase the fruits of your righteousness.”

While we are responsible for tending to that which the Father places in our care, He produces the seed and sees it to fruition.

 

It Is Our Job to Scatter the Seed

When Jesus addressed the crowd and taught the parable of the sower, he said,  …“A farmer went out to sow his seed.” (Matthew 13:3 NIV)

Seed that remains in the silo is wasted. Purposeless. It must be planted, sold, or ground for food. Unfortunately, only two-thirds of Christians believe sharing their faith is imperative—a direct contrast to the expectations of Jesus.

 

Sowing Requires Death to Self

Fear often keeps me from sowing spiritual seeds. I worry too much about an opinion and not enough about that dear one’s eternal future. Yet John 12:24 exhorts, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit.” (John 12:24)

Dying to reputation, fear of rejection, or even worry over the possible loss of friendship frees us to sow the seed of faith in another’s heart—offering them a life forever changed. #sowingseedsoffaith Click To Tweet

 

The Four Soils and Sowing Spiritual Seed

An ancient farmer dipped his hands inside a rough, woven bag. Felt the cool, rounded edges of grain sifting through his fingers; the collective weight resting in his palms. Gazing at the narrow furrows etched across the land, he began moving ahead at a steady tempo—his hand extending with a swish as seeds scattered left and right.

But not all the seeds flourished that season. In his parable, Jesus explained that some of the soils were inhospitable.

• Hard Soil When anyone hears the message about the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in their heart. This is the seed sown along the path.  Matthew 13:19 uses The word interpreted snatches comes from harpazei which means robbed or caught up. A person who fails to discern the truth about Christ despite hearing of His saving grace is an easy victim for Satan. He robs her of God’s word before it embeds in her soul.

 

• Rocky Soil Matthew 20-21 illustrates that “the seed falling on rocky ground refers to someone who hears the word and at once receives it with joy. But since they have no roots, they last only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall away.” Choosing to follow Christ can be a dangerous proposition in a cancel culture—let alone in a world where 1 out of 7 [people] globally endured persecution and discrimination in their country last year. Close to half of unchurched Americans (47%) say they would discuss freely if someone wanted to talk about their religious beliefs

 

• Thorn-Infested Soil When busyness, life’s cares, and the pursuit of money crowd out the desire to pursue a relationship with God, “the seed [has] choke[d] the word, making it unfruitful. (Matthew 13:22) The good seed is overrun by the bad and cannot be sustained. It withers and dies while the thorns propagate and spread into adjoining crops—impacting those around them.

 

• Good Soil The best soil absorbs the word and invites its transformative work into the hidden places. There, the seed “produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown.” (Matthew 23)

Good soil has been tilled, nourished, weeded, and made ready for planting. Prepared, its loamy surface welcomes the seed—enclosing it until new life bursts forth. Often, we must invest time and effort in preparing the soil by loving others, investing in relationships, and discipling new believers.

 

The Hard Work of Sowing Spiritual Seeds

Up before orange dusted the horizon and in the field until the sun hung low in the western sky, my grandfather knew the demands of hard work and the satisfaction of a bountiful harvest.

He also experienced hard times. Loss. Hail damage. Insect infestations.

Sowing spiritual seeds leads to bounty, blessing, and—sometimes—heartache. Perhaps we plant spiritual seeds in rocky soil rather than good soil and we are left feeling bereft or disillusioned.

Yet Galatians 6:9 encourages, “And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap a harvest, if we do not give up.”

The farmer perseveres in every season. #sowingspiritualseeds #bountifulharvest Click To Tweet

The farmer perseveres in every season. As God continues to offer us opportunities to sow spiritual seeds, I pray we can each scatter more love, joy, encouragement, and hope—even in the morning.

 

 

Peace and grace,
Tammy

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