Friday / From Dead Seeds to New Life
Read John 12: 23-26 (NLT)
Jesus replied, “Now the time has come for the Son of Man to enter into his glory. I tell you the truth, unless a kernel of wheat is planted in the soil and dies, it remains alone. But its death will produce many new kernels—a plentiful harvest of new lives. Those who love their life in this world will lose it. Those who care nothing for their life in this world will keep it for eternity. Anyone who wants to serve me must follow me, because my servants must be where I am. And the Father will honor anyone who serves me.”
Think
I love the act of planting seeds: preparing the soil, pressing a finger to make a small hole, dropping in a seed, covering it up. Each seed, one by one, gets buried in the dark earth. Those seeds are dead, in a sense. Their lives as mere seeds are over, and they will not be seen again in that form. But they must “die” in order for the plants to grow, for there to be new life.
There are many types of seeds, many ways seeds travel around the world. Dandelion seeds each have a perfect little parasol for floating on a breeze. Sticky burrs have barbs for catching on a passing animal. Maple tree seeds have wings for twirling. Coconuts have a thick husk which allows them to float for miles. Flying, drifting, falling, sticking, or floating, seeds have many different ways to travel in the world.
It’s the same with us, with our lives. We give ourselves to God for God to use. It’s like the seed in the soil giving up its life so that a new plant can grow.
God created each of us with a specific set of gifts and talents. A person with the gift of building things may well struggle to write a poem. A dancer might not be able to cook a decent meal. A nurse might find herself struck speechless at the thought of addressing a large crowd. We have to travel in the world according to the way God made us. A burdock seed designed for “stickiness” cannot “fly”. A Mangrove seed, designed to spear into the wet ground of the seashore, cannot be carried by a bird and grow in a desert. Just like seeds that come in all shapes and forms, so we have each of us a different way to show and share God’s love in the world.
Our job is to make the Kingdom of God a reality. That means we give up our own lives, our desires, our control. We “die” to ourselves and love–everyone, everywhere–as Jesus did. We each have a specific way to do that; that’s how we’re made.
So, don’t worry about the details; don’t worry about getting it wrong. Love is never wrong. Go to God with an open heart and ask for help. Go into the world and do your best. Be willing to try and willing to fail. Be like a seed, float or fly or stick or drift–however God made you, you were made to love. So get out there, live your life of good deeds that God created you for.
Pray
God of love, you created me and all things around me. Thank you for loving me so completely that you died for me. Help me to give my life to you, completely. Teach me how to love as you love—sacrificially, deeply. Guide me into the world to spread your love wherever you lead. Amen.
Do
Today, pick one person in your life—someone dear and special to you: mother, sister, brother, uncle, friend—and write that person a love letter. Don’t just send a text or email; actually get out a piece of paper and a pen. Write about how precious that person is, how important and loved. You could decorate the letter with colored pencils or cut out tiny hearts and include them in the envelope. Just do something to make it special. Then send the letter in the mail (even if it’s someone in your household). Share love.
The View from Mt. Hope 