“For with God nothing is ever impossible and
no word from God shall be without power or impossible of fulfillment.”
– Luke 1: 37 Amp
No word of
God shall be without power or impossible to be fulfilled! God’s words are powerful. With just a few
words God spoke the universe and our world into being. We reap the bounty of
and the enjoyment of the beautiful world that God created with His words. But God
did not stop with just His powerful words of creation. For, God has given us a
legacy of words within the pages of the Bible to guide us and reassure us of
His love. Even God’s written words are full of power. His words, read from the
Bible, meditated upon and instilled in our hearts, can heal and restore the
heart of the spiritually dying.
True Christians can use God’s words to help themselves
and each other.
For, it is also through
God’s words within the pages of the Bible that all people are offered
instruction, wisdom, guidance and love, if they search for knowledge and
understanding. Furthermore, God’s words reassure us that He is always there for
us and that He has a plan for our Salvation and eternity, if we will just
repent of our sins and turn to His Son, Jesus Christ.
The Bible
also contains words about discipline. For just like any loving father, God
tells us ahead of time, i.e. before we are disobedient or decide to do
something wrong or bad, what the consequences are for our disobedience. He
tells us what will happen if we choose to lead lives that are focused on
selfishness, greed, jealousy and evil. Most of the time the discipline comes
from our own hands, because we reap the repercussions of our chosen actions.
For example, if a person steals something, she knows she is taking a chance
that she will be caught and punished by the secular courts. But, even if she
got away with stealing, God knows what she did and His discipline will be
administered now through the consequences of her actions or discipline will
come sometime in the future when she least expects it. For, secrets are not forever. In other words, God
tells us in His Word that we will reap what we sow in all aspects of life. In fact, sowing and reaping
are part of every day life and are not just part of the agricultural world or farming.
The most
well-known occurrence of reaping what was sown is found in the book of Genesis
with the story of Adam and Eve. Adam and Eve reaped sorrow and pain not only
for themselves, but for all of humanity when they sowed disobedience through
their pridefulness, and unbelief in God’s words. Because they disobeyed God, we
live in a fallen world that is a mere shadow of the perfection that was originally
created by God. Because of their disobedience our bodies wear out and die. Moreover, because of their disobedience we will experience eternal death unless we repent of our sins, believe on Christ and accept God's free gift of Salvation.
To emphasize
the importance of understanding "reaping and sowing", Christ told several
parables on this subject. In fact, Christ succinctly illuminated what happens in different situations, including what happens when seeds are sown on
different types of soil. For, the outcome or harvest can be considerably less
when sowing seeds on dry or thorny ground. (See the chapters of Matthew 13,
Mark 4, and Luke 8). But why should Christians be concerned about sowing on dry
or thorny ground? Well, Christ applied sowing and reaping to not only our lives, but to the sharing of the
Gospel message with others. We know that when we share the Gospel message that the
message may fall on either dry or fertile ground. Additionally in our lives, we find that if we sow good things, we will reap good things and conversely, if we sow bad
things we will reap bad things.
As
Christians and active mentors we can fall into the worldly traps of sowing
indifference, unkindness and hypocrisy, as well as loveless and hateful
attitudes toward others. That is why so many people today have a bad taste in
their mouths about Christians. For, besides those people who do not live like
Christians and who set bad examples, sometimes Christians can also begin to
feel a little superior to others. Why do they feel superior? Usually it is
because they believe they have their ticket to heaven, and really don’t care
about those who are lost. This is so wrong! For Christ said, “… the
Kingdom of God is within you [in your hearts] and among you [surrounding you.].”
– Luke 17:21.
If you are truly “Saved” you should love other people and want
them to experience the joy of knowing Christ and being part of the Kingdom of
God. So, as “born-again” Christians who have the Kingdom of God within our
hearts, we should be sowing the love of Christ in all aspect of our lives. Our
lives should be a reflection of Christ’s love for others. Unfortunately, many
Christians think that our attitudes, behaviors, and words aren't important, but
they are very important indeed. For, our words can heal or harm others. Christians should focus on the healing aspect of our words and avoid harming others with hurtful words. In fact, our words should be
kind and loving and able to direct a spiritually lost person to eternal life
through Jesus Christ.
The Apostle
Paul emphasized the importance of our attitudes, behaviors and words when he
wrote, “Do not be deceived and deluded and misled; God will not allow Himself
to be sneered at (scorned, distained, or mocked by mere pretensions or
professions, or by His precepts being set aside. [He inevitably deludes himself
who attempts to delude God.]. For whatever a man sows that and that only is
what he will reap.” – Galatians 6: 7.
I don’t know
about you, but I do not want to disappoint God. That is why I want to be a
light for Christ in this ever darkening world. Without Christians stepping up
to actively mentor both fellow Christians and non-Christians as well, many will
struggle through life hurting and feeling alone. We can do something to lift
both up through ARCM. We can be the light at the end of a tunnel for those who
are lost, so they can find their way to Christ and Salvation. We can befriend, help,
support, and empower another woman by planting the seeds of Christian love and
the Gospel message. We can also provide godly knowledge and wisdom to those who
are lost and spiritually alone.
Unfortunately,
just as in the “parable of the seeds” told by Christ, some of our seeds will fall
on dry or thorny ground. In other words, the person may not hear or take in the
Good News that they have heard. Like in the parable, still other seeds will be
blown away by the wind or be eaten by birds. This means the world will destroy
the message of Salvation before it can sink in and be understood. But, it isn't our job to focus on the negatives or to focus on the possible disillusionment that can come when someone does not want to allow the Gospel seed to grow in her heart. For, just like the farmer who sows, praying that the seeds will
take hold, sprout, and grow, we, too, must put our trust in God, as we mentor
others and share the Gospel message. Once the message seeds have been planted,
then it is up to the individual as to whether the seeds will begin to grow. But
if the seeds don’t get planted, or the farmer fails to till the soil and pull
weeds, there will be no harvest or the harvest will not be large. So, too, if
Christians fail to actively mentor other Christians or fail to nourish and water those Gospel seeds, or if we fail to share the Gospel message seeds with the
non-Christians, we will not have a harvest of believers or a harvest of
empowered Christians who can help others along the way.
In his
letter to the Galatians the Apostle Paul said, “And let us not lose heart and
grow weary and faint in acting nobly and doing right, for in due time and at
the appointed season we will reap, if we do not loosen and relax our courage
and faint.” – (Galatians 6:9. Amplified). Yes, it takes courage to
actively mentor others today, especially in a world that has lost its
foundational principles. But, we can be that beacon of light and hope to those
who are struggling. Through active
relational Christian mentoring (ARCM) you can reach out and help both the
non-Christian and Christian.
I will end
with more of the Apostle Paul’s God-inspired words to the Galatians, as these
words apply to all Christians who live their lives for Christ. Paul said, “So
then, as occasion and opportunity open up to us, let us do good [morally] to
all people [not only being useful or profitable to them, but also doing what is
for their spiritual good and advantage]. Be mindful to be a blessing especially
to those of the household of faith [those who belong to God’s family with you,
the believers]. – (Galatians 6:
10. Amplified).
Remember, as
a true born-again Christian, “… the Kingdom of God is within you [in your
hearts] and among you [surrounding you].” So let God’s Kingdom flourish
by sowing the Gospel message wherever you go.
Also sow love, hope, faith, knowledge and gratitude as you care for
other people. Remember, too, people are watching you!
You can do
it! You can mentor for the Lord! Just go out and let the Holy Spirit direct
you. God’s words will not come back
void. His words are powerful! Live by God’s Word and share His words with your
mentees.
If you do
not know Christ personally, take a moment and talk to Him. Christ will hear and
listen to you. Repent of your sins and then ask Christ to forgive you. He will!
There is nothing more wonderful than knowing that you have been truly forgiven
and are now a child of God’s.
“Your Salvation is a free gift, made possible
only because God planned it … Christ paid for it… and the Holy Spirit assures
you of it.”
– Billy Graham in Quotes