by Crystal Bowman
I’ve been involved in volunteer ministries ever since I was a high school graduate. Summer mission programs, Sunday school teacher, Bible study leader, vacation Bible school teacher— and for more than 20 years I’ve been a mentor for MOPS (Mothers of Preschoolers).
But through these 40+ years of being in ministry and sharing the Gospel, I rarely saw anyone come to know Jesus. However, I am overwhelmed by the number of times someone who was exposed to my teaching came to me with exciting news that they had received Jesus as their Savior. They would tell me that something I said, something I taught, that walk on the beach, that Bible study in my living room, or those weekly two-hour phone calls started them on their journey to find Jesus. And I would be happy for them, but often wondered why I wasn’t the one to be with them during their come-to-Jesus moment.
Then I read these words in 1 Corinthians 3:5-8 (NLT):
[The Apostle Paul, writing to the church in Corinth ] “After all, who is Apollos? Who is Paul? We are only God’s servants through whom you believed the Good News. Each of us did the work the Lord gave us. I planted the seed in your hearts, and Apollos watered it, but it was God who made it grow. It’s not important who does the planting, or who does the watering. What’s important is that God makes the seed grow. The one who plants and the one who waters work together with the same purpose. And both will be rewarded for their own hard work.”
My moment of truth: I am a seed planter!
Even though I may not be the one to pray with someone to receive Christ, my seed planting is an important and necessary part of the process.
And as writers—we are all seed planters!
Our books, blogs, magazine articles, and chapter contributions are distributed to thousands if not millions of people both nationally and globally. When we share biblical truths in our writing, when we encourage others in their faith, and when we present the Gospel message, we are planting seeds that others may water. Or maybe we are watering seeds that others have planted. We may never be face to face with most of our readers. We may never find out who came to faith in Jesus because of something we wrote. But our words matter and the seeds we plant will add believers to God’s Kingdom.
Keep planting those seeds.
Whether you write for children, teens, or adults, there is always room for more seed planting. I write mostly for children which means I can plant those seeds while they are young. If you write for teens or adults, your words might plant seeds, or they might water existing seeds. And it’s God who makes those seeds grow into seeds of faith.
Knowing that my words are planting seeds, gives my writing a greater purpose. Impressive book sales are encouraging. Awards are exciting. And some of us even get royalty checks now and then! But all of that pales in comparison to the heavenly reward that comes from advancing the Kingdom of God with the words we write and the seeds we plant.
So writers—keep planting and watering seeds for the Master Gardner and watch His garden grow.
TWEETABLE
Wonderful message! I agree. We may never know how our words affect others. God knows. He can use those words to draw people closer to Him. :-)
ReplyDeleteYes--God can use our words. It's all in His hands.
DeleteCrystal,
ReplyDeleteI love the concept of seed planting and your article. As followers of Jesus, we are called to serve others through our daily lives--and leave those results in God's hands. Easily said than actually practiced sometimes but an integral part of the Christian life.
Terry
author of 10 Publishing Myths, Insights Every Author Needs to Succeed
Very true, Terry. God calls us to serve--the rest is up to Him.
DeleteI've never thought of myself as watering the seeds. Sermons come and go, as do books, in a person's life. I like to think of myself as one more part of a chain that God is doling out, one link at a time. We can be showing them truth for the first time, or adding to the truth they already know. But in the end, it is God who causes the growth. That takes the pressure off! We are merely the messengers.
ReplyDeleteExactly! We are responsible to share God's message, but the rest is in God's hands. He is the one who causes seed of faith to grow.
DeleteCrystal - I've had very similar thoughts for years as my kids and their friends grew up, but your post makes me consider a new prayer - that God would bless and increase all the seed that's been sown in the past. Not a category I've prayed much attention to. Thanks! :)
ReplyDeleteWhat a beautiful idea for a prayer. Thank you for sharing that!
DeleteThank you for this true and powerful message, Crystal. You've reminded me of the parable of the sower and the seed. As writers, we've been given the great gift of seeds to scatter.
ReplyDeleteI love that parable and it certainly applies to writers. Thanks for that insight!
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