Photo by Markus Spiske on Unsplash
Jesus said in Matthew 10:7 ‘As you go, preach the gospel.’ Every day I believe God wants to give us opportunities to sow gospel seed though I know I can often miss them.
Today I met Andi as I walked through the park. He was admiring a patch of ground that was being rotavated and began telling me how he wished he’d had a rotavator for his allotment because it had been such hard work digging over the hard clay soil and with very poor results. After talking about allotments and watching the soil being turned over I felt the Holy Spirit remind me of the parable of the Sower in Matthew 13 or the Parable of the soils as it is sometimes referred to.
I said, “This reminds me of where Jesus talks about different soil types” and Andi listened as I told him the parable but then he quickly moved on telling me of the good things he always tries to do., how he is generous if people ask him for something. He said I am an alcoholic but I am not like drug addicts. Trying to justify himself reminded me of another parable Jesus told.
I gently spoke to him about how even though it is always good when we are generous and kind to others we can’t earn God’s approval by our good works alone, how we needed a Saviour and why God had sent Jesus for us. Andi listened as I explained the gospel, but he didn’t seem to hear it and continued talking about his good works. It was like the seed fell on the ground which I felt sad about. I told him that God loved him very much and he thanked me for talking to him and shook my hand.
We know it is God alone who opens people’s hearts to receive him and I’m praying that when Andi is next digging his allotment maybe he’ll be reminded of the story I shared with him today.
Expecting More 