By Lana Shoaf printed in First Mennonite Church’s “Update,” April 2019

“He also said, ‘This is what the kingdom of God is like. A man scatters seed on the ground. Night and day, whether he sleeps or gets up, the seed sprouts and grows, though he does not know how.”

Mark 4: 26-27

Spring planting season in Indiana holds a completely different feel than the harvest season of fall time. Farmers work the ground, preparing the fields for seeds, and pray for the balance of rain and sun during the growing season to yield a crop of plenty. There is little the farmer can do to coax the seed to sprout, strengthen the stalk, and fatten the fruit for the time of harvest. Perhaps it is this lack of control over the growing that gives spring a sense of apprehensive hope. History and nature prove to the farmer the growing season will produce a crop, but there is a measure of faith thrown out with the seeds in spring.

Harvest happens on the other side of this faith. Crops brought in are weighed and sold with a sigh of relief and a thankful heart. A sense of fullness and assurance ease the apprehension and offer confidence in the process. Jesus connects the planting season and farmer with the kingdom of God. Believers throw out seeds of truth and ministry with apprehensive hope, knowing God’s faithfulness and nature will tend the seeds sewn in ministry. In the context of ministry, so many believers fall into the trap of feeling they coax, strengthen, and fatten the faith of people. Mark 4 demonstrates man’s inability to grow the faith of a person. This is the mysterious work of God. He alone can grow the seed into a person capable of producing fruit and ultimately the seed to throw out on their own and begin the process of multiplication.

I have fallen into this misconception too. Sometimes, when I have extended the gospel and discipleship, I take the results personally and believe the apparent success or failure is measured equally with my ability. Of course, this leads to much discouragement in ministry, as my ability is limited to planting season. God asks me to throw out the seed of the gospel and watch Him mysteriously grow a soul into the knowledge of His kingdom. I can do a little to nurture that growth, but the miraculous, soul-changing work is done by Him. Upon realization of this, I first feel great relief! I am responsible for throwing out the seed alone and I can completely trust God to do the rest in ministry. But then, I look at myself as a seedling, sprouted and growing for the purpose of multiplication and wonder, “Do I look to God for growth, or do I believe more in the efforts of man?” If I am relieved that God alone can grow the person with whom I share the gospel or disciple, I must challenge myself to assess the measure to which I depend on God for the same growth. Do I allow Him to encourage and build in me the strength required to live a fruitful life in the faith? Or do I wait around for the hand of one in ministry to encourage me? When I reflect on times in my life when I have waited around for man’s hand to grow my spirit, I see a thirsty soul. Man cannot do God’s mysterious work.