Seeds of Love

Seeds of Love

“So then neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth. Now he who plants and he who waters are one, and each will receive his own reward according to his own labor. For we are God’s coworkers. You are God’s field, God’s building.” 1 Corinthians 3: 7-9

He is working all things for our good. If my foundation isn’t built on Christ nothing I ever do in this life time will matter. I’ve been thinking about that more lately how we were made in a way that no matter what we believe if we don’t choose Jesus we will always want more. My life before my relationship left me longing and filling those places that was meant for God to never satisfy. I tried to fight that truth but always kept coming up empty. 

 I met a resident in prison Friday night and he wasn’t just coming for the first time he was coming with lots of questions.  We do get questions but this is more often during our small group time the time we gather with them to discuss the message and pray for them. It is our routine to come in a greet everyone and catch up with them but this guy had us sit down with him right away. I remember the look of desperation and expectancy on his face as he  asked, “Why do people say Jesus is the only way? Why is that the only Way?” He went on to tell us no one was really able to answer this for him. Then he began to share all the different understandings he had gathered over the many years he had been seeking to find an understanding. Some of what he had heard was familiar but other "religions" he talked about I hadn’t even heard of. He kept saying something he had heard in the Bible and I knew what he was saying wasn’t truth but somehow what he heard wasn’t going to be dismissed. I could see his frustration that no one could explain it to him. It was during that time my husband and I sat down with him and honestly I was looking for someone around that room more qualified to explain this but there wasn’t anyone that wasn’t already busy. After a simple prayer of, “Holy Spirit help me to help him to understand” I began to break it down as simple as I could. I could tell he was alot like me when I first started believe because the story of God’s plan for us doesn’t make sense. So in the simplest form I could give him I told him. God the Creator of Heaven and earth came down to earth as a baby. God in flesh. God loved us so much that he sent Jesus to live on earth to show us how we could live in a relationship with Him. Jesus was always the promise to save us from ourselves. Jesus died on the cross so we could live in a new way. The choice is ours who to follow. When we make that choice to follow Jesus we get a gift of the Holy Spirit that shows us how to live. My life before Jesus and my life after Jesus is different in a way I get to live with knowing I have the Holy Spirit as my Helper. I said, “You matter more to God than you will ever know and He loves you so much. And there is no other god that you have told me about that would die for you so you could life a new way. I wished I had more time but it was in that next moment a guard came to get him to go do something. I saw him come back in and this time he wasn’t sitting in the back where we had found him by himself he was sitting up front with some of the men who were leaders and led us in worship. I haven’t stopped praying for him that he will come back and he will know how much God has been running after him and that he would surrender his life to receive a personal Savior. Personal relationship with a Living God. The Holy Spirit living in us.

I tell you that story because opportunities are everywhere for us to share that simple message. The verse I shared above was from Paul a letter addressed to people that were confused on doctrinal and lifestyle issues it was Paul’s continued heart that pointed them back to Jesus. It wasn’t fancy speech it was Paul in the environment he was in taking those opportunities to meet them where they were. It was a message of grace being available and pointing them to Jesus because he is the only Truth, Way, and Life. Because the truth is we will build our lives on something in this life and nothing will ever satisfy other than God alone. It a choice what we build on but when we build our lives on something that is unshakable we see the character of Christ. The Rock that stands. The Love of God that others can know. 

That kind of love can transform this world. Love that reaches into hearts and pulls them into something they can’t grasp. 

What if we planted those seeds of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, faithfulness, and self control in this world? What could God grow within our hearts and the hearts around us?

Father,

All around us are opportunities for people to know you. Give us eyes to see those people and see them the way you do. Lead us and guide us as we go and give us a Heavenly focus. It is all so they can know you and experience the Peace you bring that can change everything. Thank you that you care that much about us that you would choose that King Jesus.

Amen