Selfless Sowing

A couple of weeks ago I got the opportunity to preach in our afternoon church service. My message was called Becoming Less (it's available on the Radiant Life Church website if anyone is interested).

One of the benefits of learning to let God become more and making yourself become​ less is a harvest. A harvest that is only available if the seed dies in the process. God requires selfless sowing for an abundant harvest.

One of the points I made and want to share here is that often times, we sow seed selfishly. Put another way, we are willing to obey God's direction as long as it benefits the harvest that is closest to our hearts. The example I gave was our kids. We seek God's face for them. We are willing to be inconvenienced for them. We obey as it relates to God ministering to them. But when God wants us to sow ourselves into people we don't know, souls that we've never asked God for, we are less than eager to obey. Because those seeds aren't as important to us as our kids.

It is natural for us to do everything we can for our kids, to show them how to serve God, to try and model what that looks like. To spend ourselves for them. To intercede with sobbing emotion and sincerity. Because nothing would make us happier that seeing God work in their hearts. The problem comes when God opens opportunity not related to our desires (other than by God's urging) and we are hesitant or refuse to make the most of them because we are too busy watching over the seed so close to us.

God has promised to watch over his word, to take care of us and our families if we will take care of his business. So we have to become less and sow selflessly with as much vigor as we sow into our kids.

This week I failed my kids. I overreacted and all I could think about was how I messed it all up and how useless I felt. If I can't even do my normal every day task, be light to my kids, how could I ever do anything else? And almost immediately one of the "opportunities" I've been praying about opened up again.

God has been using me to build relationship and share his love with more than one individual who used to know God and have strayed away from him. Who have lost hope or gotten busy and forgotten how much they need him. I've always felt like the most effective witness is within one on one relationships and not by merely handing out invitations or door to door solicitation. There is a place for that, but it's when people know you and prove you are real, then they can trust you and you can share hope with them. Anyways, I've been praying for opportunities and offering a listening ear as God has directed and people have actually taken me up on my offer.

So I was upset with my humanness and one of them sent me a message/text. And God said "take care of my stuff and I'll take care of your stuff."
Yes, sir. I get it.

I feel very strongly that God is stirring the hearts of people who've walked away from him. Reminding them of his love for them. Step number one is realizing you aren't where you should be. And I keep praying "God, keep stirring!! Keep drawing and let us be available to help guide them when you draw them back."