Keep Scooping

I thought of the toil of small group leaders I know when I wrote the message below in response to Luke 8, the parable of the Sower:

“But the ones that fell on the good ground are those who, having heard the word with a noble and good heart, keep it and bear fruit with patience.”

Bearing Fruit with Patience…. P-aa-tience.

I don’t think I would have always been a patient farmer, more spazzy at times. I might have found myself standing in the middle of the field and, talking to the dirt, looking for the tiny sprouts…. as if I was making them grow. Well, maybe.

But, in reading that verse, you came to mind…. Meeting every week with your group… faithfully being what God would have you be to them. It may not be as ideal as you would wish… or envisioned, but you are faithfully sowing God’s word with His love...like He asked you to.

Jesus said the seed that fell on good ground represented those who heard the Word and had noble and good hearts. They treasured it… kept it for themselves… and they bear fruit… with patience.”

The word ‘patience’ connotes stability in doing the task. The NIV uses ‘perseverance,’ which implies a consistency… like a mother getting her child to try a new vegetable. He spits it out. She puts it back in… he chokes it out, she scoops it off his face and in it goes. And, tomorrow… same thing… all over again.

Experts say babies have to try a new food 10-15 times before they will eat it.

It is reasonable to expect that it may take us 10-15 exposures to a new spiritual thought before we can clothe ourselves with a new flavor of humility, or love. So, at times you may feel just like that mom… scooping it in… again. But that's okay. They won't get to the tenth try until they have tried it the first 9 times!

So when the calls come in that ‘this one quit’ or ‘this one can’t keep the commitment’, keep in mind it’s not because of you. (No matter what our enemy says!). You are the servant with the noble and good heart who is keeping the Word for yourself… and persevering to bear fruit… yes, even with patience.” So, keep scooping!