Seeds and Dreams
A Message for Good Friday
Jesus replied, "The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. I tell you the truth, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds. The man who loves his life will lose it, while the man who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life." John 12:23-25
When Jesus ministered to the people around him, they were so excited about the possibility that he was the promised Messiah. For generations, the Israelites had been dreaming of a powerful leader to throw off foreign oppression in their lifetimes. But that wasn't God's plan. He didn't want to throw off outward Roman oppression for "a time" but the oppressive reign of sin - which dwells in every human heart -- for eternity. Jesus was the seed who would die and be buried, then rise again to bring spectacular life to whole nations and generations. But he did have to die, and that wasn't what they had expected.
A seed is such a strange little thing. From all outward appearances, the tiny hard brown bit of next-to-nothing seems to have so little potential! And yet it is this very seed which grows into such a beautiful, fruitful, life-giving plant. The other odd thing about a seed is that you have to bury it for it to do any good! Like many things in nature, the seed is a picture of something spiritual -- in this case, faith for the future. A seed is a lot like a dream or a vision. We all have those! What do you do when you sense a dream or a vision for the future stirring in your heart? Stories from the Bible give us some clues, even for home schooling our children.
We must discern if our dream or vision is truly from God. Not all of them are! Some of them are very self-serving! We need to evaluate whether our dream honors his Word, and reflects Scriptural values and roles. In Genesis 11, the people had a dream of building a tower to the heavens, but God saw their folly, thwarted their plans, and sent them away babbling in different languages! Or think of Lot (starting in Genesis 13), who dreamed of the easy life on the fertile plain -- and ended up losing his family in and after the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. No, not all dreams will bear the right kind of fruit. Some of them are weed seeds! Have you ever seen someone aspire to some grand vision of glory for himself and pursue it with such intensity that he puts his spiritual life on the back burner, starts making moral compromises, and in the end, has his dreams, his reputation, and even his life shattered? Despite the pop psychology of "following your dreams no matter what anyone else says" it is quite possible to chase a destructive and deceptive fantasy! As home school parents, we should think of that when our children, approaching their adult years, are planning for their future college education and careers. Many are so afraid to squelch youthful enthusiasm that they keep their mouths shut -- and pay for it later when they have to pick up the pieces. Pray through it, seek wise counsel, and keep the lines of communication open with your teens. If you think that something doesn;t quite "set right" don't be afraid to offer your well-reasoned words of guidance, and so"no" when you need to do so. After all, Proverbs 12:11 warns us that "he who chases fantasies lacks judgment."
We must be patient as we wait for our dreams to come true. God promised a son to old Abraham, but he had to wait a LONG time for it to come to pass. In the meantime, Sarah tried to force the issue and ended up bitter about Hagar and Ishmael. But in due time, Isaac was born. When God promises us something, it may not happen right away! Likewise, when we as home school parents invest in raising our children for God, confident of his promises to bless us, we still don't always see the fruit right away. It seems like the seed lies dormant underneath the ground. We cant see the progress underneath the soil. Yet, we must plant, then faithfully water and tend the gardens of their hearts, pulling the weeds, protecting the young plants, and all the other things good gardeners do. Then we must wait. And wait. And wait. A bean seed might sprout in a day, but it takes a lifetime to grow a mighty oak from an acorn! Galatians 6:9 encourages us, "Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up."
We must be willing to lay our visions down. What? This is MY vision! God promised it to me! No way am I going to let go! In this way, a dream often becomes an idol or a distraction. The gift eclipses the giver. And so God tests our hearts and says, "Let it go. Lay it down." Abraham had to do this with Isaac, his beloved son, the fulfillment of the promise to bring forth nations from his seed! He was called to sacrifice, and he willingly prepared to obey. When God saw that Abraham passed the heart test, he interceded and provided a ram as a substitute. Perhaps you have felt called by God to minister to others in a certain area such as leading a home school group. You are excited, you make the plans, you get things going, God blesses your efforts, and many lives are changed for the better. But suddenly it's pruning time! God says, "Lay it down." Maybe this is so you can refocus on your own family and other vital priorities for a season of renewal. Maybe it is so someone else can step up and take your place, and develop their own leadership abilities. Maybe this "demotion" is permanent, maybe it's not. We must leave that in God's hands. He will be faithful to reveal his will to us if we are willing to do whatever he asks, even if it is laying down a dream. Romans 12:1-2 reminds us, "Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God--this is your spiritual act of worship. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is--his good, pleasing and perfect will."
We can have faith that God can call someone to something special even before that person starts living for him! When Jacob was in Rebekah's womb, God spoke words of destiny over his life (Genesis 25:21-23). As a young adult, fleeing from his angry brother, Jacob had a vision of God, but still the seed of his relationship with God stayed underground a LONG time! Jacob went his way and started raising his huge family with only token acknowledgement of God's blessings and calling. He had to work through a lot of consequences for his sins. It wasn't until he returned to Canaan twenty years later and wrestled with the angel that he got a new name (Israel) and started living for the Lord. That's when he could truly fulfill the calling to be a patriarch of the nation Israel, the people of God. Likewise, at his birth, Hudson Taylor's parents had a strong sense of his calling to be a missionary to China. They trained him diligently in the Scriptures, but Hudson turned away from the Lord as a teen. God faithfully brought him to repentance and faith, and despite many obstacles, Hudson opened China to the Gospel. As parents, we must not give up, even if our children or young adults seem to be apathetic or even hostile to God's ways. Keep praying, keep watering and weeding, keep believing God for a fruitful harvest. 1 Peter 2:9 reminds us of our origin and our destination: "But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light."
We must believe that God will fulfill his visions for us even if others oppose us, and it may not be in the way or time frame we expect! Do you think, "Oh, I could do great things for God, if only so-and-so weren't making it so hard for me." Or, "God gave me this vision, but circumstances came up, and it's been so long, and I wonder if I heard him right. Life has changed so much that theres no way that this could ever come to pass now." Think about Joseph. In his youth, he had divine dreams of being honored by his family. But then his jealous brothers sold him into slavery in a far away land, and he bounced back and forth between responsibility and servitude for 20 years! How could his dreams EVER come true? But they did! And it wasnt just so Joseph could be honored. The way God worked it out, the whole situation set the stage so that whole nations could be rescued from famine! Or think of David, anointed as a youth to be the future king of Israel. Before this calling could be fulfilled, he would need to serve cranky old Saul, who, in his jealousy, would try again and again to kill David. I'm sure David was tempted to get rid of Saul and get on with his goals -- but he didn't! Even when he had the opportunity and the excuse to kill Saul, he chose to honor God's chosen authority and await God's proper timing for his own kingship. Romans 8:28 assures us: "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose."
We must realize that it may be up to the next generations to see the completion of our dreams. In 2 Samuel 7, David has the noble goal of building a temple for the Lord. God said no. There had been too many wars during David's reign. The job would go to David's son Solomon. That doesn't mean that David took it easy and passed the buck. He diligently prepared and gathered the supplies ahead of time so that Solomon would be equipped for the task. As home school parents, we should see our children as arrows to be launched into the future. We must be faithful to equip and train them in God's ways so they will be prepared to make their mark in ways that we cannot. Your children are uniquely gifted. They will do things you could never do. They will meet people you never meet. They will go places you will never go. They will see decades that you will never live to see. Envision your children! Don't be afraid to send them forth on a mission for the Lord. They are in God's hands! Psalm 112:1-2 exhorts us: "Praise the LORD. Blessed is the man who fears the LORD, who finds great delight in his commands.
His children will be mighty in the land; the generation of the upright will be blessed."
We must be wholehearted in following God's call on our lives. Just because God has promised to be faithful in fulfilling his promises in our lives does not mean that we are entitled to sit back and be lazy. We have a part to play, too. In Acts 9, Saul, knocked off his high horse by a vision of the Lord Jesus, is called to suffer for the Lord in proclaiming the Gospel. Did he shrink back? No way! He poured himself out zealously and joyously, counting it an honor and a privilege! Dear home school friends, there is a world out there waiting to hear the Gospel. Are you fired up with a passion to live for the Lord Jesus and boldly GO? Or are you resting on your laurels and contenting yourself with reading about how others do it? This doesn't mean you have to fly to Africa and live in a grass hut. You can begin by sharing the sweet news of Jesus with your children and your neighbors! Just start with a heart full of love for the Lord, and see where it takes you! Paul shares in Philippians 3:7-14, "But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ -- the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith. I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead. Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus."
Dear friends, what dreams, visions, and callings had God placed in your heart? Do you have faith for the planting, the watering, the weeding, the pruning, and the harvest? May God speak directly to your heart today.
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Thad and I are so privileged to be able to live out our dreams in the context of a local church, Metro Life, and a loving home group within it. These are people who encourage, counsel, and even correct us as we seek Gods plan for our lives. It is such a help to be able to bounce ideas of each other, to offer words of exhortation or caution, and more. I wish I had the space to share all that we have gone through in our home group, which has undergone some huge transitions lately. Suffice to say that many of us have seen challenging times when dreams have been postponed or laid down due to health, job changes, family needs, ministry plans, and more. Thanks be to God for his gift of the church!}
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