Sow the seeds of the Gospel and let the Holy Spirit continue the work.

Leena laughs at you when you ask her what her plans are (for the day, for the week, for ServeTrust).  In one of my many question-peppering conversations while on the bus in India, I asked her….how does she plan for what’s next.  And, she laughed at me.  For Leena, it’s not about planning.  It’s about following the Holy Spirit.  She said that when her board asks her how many churches she intends to plant this year, she responds to them that she doesn’t know….that only God knows. (In their defense, they are asking so that they can plan for sufficient financial resources…..and they exist as a gift from God and partnership with Leena, for ServeTrust’s benefit.  Going back to my previous blog…God’s work takes people with all gifts and skill sets….if we want to go fast we can do things on our own, but if we want to go far, we must do it with others.)  Leena says that her role is to share the good news of Jesus Christ. She says, “My [business] partner is God”. The Holy Spirit will put those opportunities and His plans in front of her.  She lives with that faith on a moment-by-moment basis.

I am slowly learning this….. To plant the seeds of the Gospel in the opportunities that God is putting before me and then letting the Holy Spirit continue the work.  One way I’m doing that is through this blog. I’ve thought for years about writing, but always thought that no one would read it and would be a waste of my time.  But what I’ve come to realize is that even if this blog helps one person, it’s worth my time and investment.  Because the Holy Spirit cares so much for that one person and therefore, so do I.  I want to see EVERY.SINGLE.ONE of my friends and family in heaven. I love them so much.  And if sharing what’s in my head and heart through this blog will help them get there….then, that’s what I’ll do.

There are a lot of examples of farming in the bible, used as a metaphor for how we are to live our lives and how God will intervene. The example Jesus shares of vines being pruned to bear fruit (John 15) has made an indelible impression on my heart.  It’s not easy to sow seeds of the Gospel, into ourselves and others. In the process of sowing, God will mold and adapt us, and that process hurts as he makes us more holy. But it’s important that we stick with it because he’ll use all of that hurt and pain to connect you to other people who are hurting and in pain and then wash it all away with his grace as He restores what Satan has taken from us. This all takes time. We have to be patient. Our God is a God of process, not tasks.

Our job? Sow the seeds of the Gospel, with the wisdom and grace that is afforded to us through the Holy Spirit.  And then, let Him do His thing.  He’s the God of the universe. He’s amazing. He’s Holy.  He’s GOD.  He’s got this.  He’ll take the work that you are doing with Him and multiply it all beyond any imagination.