The Seeds We Grow

In a garden, field or any piece of ground, there are plants growing. Some of those plants were planted by someone, and some, what we call “volunteer”, planted themselves. Volunteer plants are not always bad, some are very good. Currently I have volunteer blackberry bushes growing in the woods next to my house and I look forward to a crop of berries later this summer! Other volunteer plants are bad, like thistles. Even though we didn’t plant them, they are still there and we can decide whether they stay there or not, but we have to actively do something about it. They won’t leave on their own, and left unchecked can take over, crowding out the good plants.

Matthew 13:37-39 New American Standard Bible (NASB)

And He said, “The one who sows the good seed is the Son of Man, and the field is the world; and as for the good seed, these are the sons of the kingdom; and the tares are the sons of the evil one; and the enemy who sowed them is the devil, and the harvest is the end of the age; and the reapers are angels.”

Galatians 6:6-8 New American Standard Bible (NASB)

The one who is taught the word is to share all good things with the one who teaches him. Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, this he will also reap. For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life.

In our lives, there are things we plant and things others plant. Everything in us is a product of what has been planted, some good, some bad. God plants good seeds in our lives and the enemy plants bad things. The people around us are also continually planting in our lives (whether they know it or not) by their influence. We also plant things in our own lives by what we expose ourselves to. Of all these seeds, not all are plants we want to grow, but we decide which plants stay, which we water and nurture, and which we uproot.

This takes intentionality and action. Passivity will only allow all plants to grow, but it will not uproot the bad or tend the good. It simply allows them to be. We have to take note of everything that enters our minds and hearts. Is it good or bad? Is it godly or worldly? Is this a truth I need to hold on to or a lie that I need to reject? We should confront every idea that we watch, read or hear so that we can immediately uproot and burn anything that we do not wish to stay. Then we need to tend the good plants. We must believe the truth and live it. We should meditate and cultivate those ideas in our hearts.

We also need to examine our thoughts. They are a sign of what is growing, so we can use them as a gauge to show us when we have some field work to do, weeds that need to be pulled or truth that needs to be watered and fertilized. Bad thoughts should be confronted with the truth and rejected, but it is also important to find where that thought stemmed from so that the root can be removed.

There are some seeds I wish I had rejected and not allowed to take root when I was younger, because now, years later, I am still struggling with the weed patch I have allowed to grow and have even watered on occasion. Had I known all of this as a young teen, and known the truth, I would have rejected the lie that I was worthless and ugly and would not now be struggling with issues of self image and worth. Depression and suicide would likely not have been nearly the battle that it is now. I wish I had rejected those ideas when I heard them, and then replaced with the truth of what God says about me.

John 8:31-32 New American Standard Bible (NASB)

So Jesus was saying to those Jews who had believed Him, “If you continue in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine; and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.”

Examining and tilling is half of the battle, but the other half is truth. We cannot identify thoughts and ideas as good or bad, truth or lie, if we do not already know the truth and the truth comes from the Word of God. We must actively plant seeds of truth in our hearts and minds so that they can act as barriers to keep the weeds in check. Reading, studying, and memorizing the Bible is the most effective ground cover we can find. Like clover, it keeps weeds from taking root, limits the danger of wild fires, is beautiful and comforting, and also replaces a lot of nutrients in the soil. But again, it is something we must actively seek and cultivate. There is some clover planted in us by God and those around us, but it will not provide effective cover unless we work the ground and intentionally plant more. It must then be watered so that it will continue to grow; otherwise it will wither and become weak, allowing the weeds to take over.

What seeds are you allowing to grow in your mind and heart? What weeds do you need to uproot and burn? What can you do to provide effective ground cover in the soil of your heart?