And what you have heard from me in the presence of
many witnesses, commit to faithful men who will be able to teach others also.
Gardening is not for the
faint of heart. It takes a lot of time and energy to prepare the soil, plant
the seed, fertilize, spray, water, weed, pray, and then months later you just
might see some fruit. Given this time and toil, many of us, understandably,
just head to our local supermarkets for our produce. But what about
discipleship?
Gardening may seem simple in
comparison to raising up qualified leaders to train and teach others. It’s easy
to throw seed on the ground and pray for the best just as it’s fairly easy
simply to host a corporate event or annual production. Where Paul is calling
us, where Jesus is calling us, is to make disciples (Matt 28:18-20). Jesus
modeled this laborious work by taking in 12 men and training them. Using more
than words, He raised them up and released them into the world.
To share the heart of
Christ, we must not settle for simply scattering seed. It goes beyond squashing
bugs. It even goes beyond getting big and ripe. The clear call on our lives is
to reproduce and make disciples! We must tend to the precious message of the
gospel as it is one disobedient generation away from extinction.
Lord, I ask that You remain in me as I
seek to remain in You. Help me to abide and rest in You today. Lord, I want to
bear fruit and make disciples. Please help me to share Your heart for
discipleship. Bring faithful, available, and teachable people into my life so
that I can walk with them and by Your grace help them grow. Amen.
So neither the one who plants nor the
one who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow.
