Luke 8 - Heart Dirt

For me (and I'd assume many others) the Parable of the Sower has been a source of comfort. You can read this parable and use it to explain why our attempts at witnessing have not been successful - we are just talking to people who are the wrong kind of soil, so its not our fault that they don't listen or turn away.

What a crock. Farmers don't just go out and scatter seed. They know the value of that seed and the need for a return. Instead, they condition the soil so that it will be more productive. They till and fertilize and plant and fertilize and water and fertilize and water and fertilize. Are we farmers or seed scatterers? It isn't our job to just throw out information and hope for a return. That's a waste and a disservice. That isn't loving God or loving people. Instead, we have to work the soil, work with people and dig into their lives to loosen the soil. We've got to support, nurture and encourage them to water their budding faith. We've got to provide opportunities for them to grow and serve to fertilize the growth that has started. All of these things happen through relationship, not through one-way communication. We've got to live relationship.

We've got to be farmers (at least I do, because that's what my name says).