Sower vs. Seed, Which One Are You?

(NNPA) – A minister recently reminded me of something I pray will also benefit you in understanding your walk in faith. The pastor reminded those who would claim Christ as their own, that being a Christian is part of an evolutionary process. Make no mistake about it. There will be problems along the way. But remember, the process has purpose. Lest we forget, there is power resulting from committing oneself to the process of being faithful. There is purpose behind our struggle of faith. God is still in control and at every stage of our lives, the test or the temptation is there to give us a chance to confirm and clarify our status with the Almighty. You’re kind of on His team or not. You’re either practicing for the game, in the game, or wasting your time and that of your so-called teammates. Think about it. What do you consider your duty in this life? Why are you here? What’s the point of existence? To a man or woman of God, these are not hard questions. Life is a manifestation of knowledge that allows you to know God. Our purpose is to recognize who we are in relation to God and then act accordingly. Now God does give us assistance in the process. “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you and you will be my witness in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria and to the ends of the earth.” Acts 1:8. If this be the case, then it bears the question, ‘where are we in this process?’ The one place we must be however isin it. In-the-process means just that, in it. That means some part of our consciousness, some part of who we are, actively (not passively), participates in the work of the Lord.

Most of you who read this column know I believe faith is a verb and in order to participate in any process, you must do something. In this case you must do something in the name of God, period. It must be conscious. It must be deliberate. It must be inclusive of some understanding that Jesus would approve. Maybe you remember something about the learning process in your youth. To be successful, study was required. Learning, real learning, did not happen by osmosis. It had identifiable results and measurable consequences. In school you had to pass a test. In life you grow in faith and thereby in knowledge of the truth i.e. God is the reason. Isn’t it amazing that the more you know about the Lord, the more there is to know? Isn’t it wonderful to begin the process of service in His name? The more you serve, the more you want to serve. How you serve is a byproduct of the gifts already given to you by Him. I think in church they say, “Come on somebody.” The point of all this is that regardless of where you are in the process, you can’t go wrong because, hello, you’re in the process. As the minister pointed out, there will be problems that arise along the way. These problems are understood and handled when you remember your purpose for participating in the first place. Can you feel the power I was talking about earlier? When you are fully engaged in the process of being a Christian, there is power to be had and shared when you realize you’re having success. And success has already been defined as understanding the war is already won. Christ did that. These battles are mere formalities. God is giving us more knowledge as we learn how to use His tools and understand how they help us study. This is a class in spiritual understanding and the bible is a terrific textbook. Find yourself a quiet place to study. Prepare for your tests and graduate with testimony. Just remember in these classes, failure is possible, but dropping out is not an option.

May God bless and keep you always, James, •