Today in church my pastor made a statement in regard to giving offering that I cannot seem to get out of my mind. He said, “You can throw seed, but are you sowing seed?” That made me really start thinking about our words that we speak.

Sometimes, I have a habit of telling people what I think they need hear rather than what God knows they need to hear. I will listen to what they are saying while thinking of my mind is searching for a perfect scripture that they need to hear to set their thinking straight, or that will be the life changing scripture that will make them turn from their wicked ways and follow God. Or the one that will magically make them want to sanctify. In this moment I have throwing seeds hoping something will stick.

I am sure none of you have used the sword as a weapon against people…but I have. My kids, people that I genuinely love and care about, as well as people I didn’t really know. At the time, I was doing it out of what I would have told you was good motives. I want the best for the people in my life, and that is truth. I want them to know God on such an intimate level, so while my heart may have been in the right place, my words were definitely not.

While the Bible tells us that we are to preach the Word, be prepared whether the time is favorable or not. Patiently correct, rebuke, and encourage people with good teaching (2 Timothy 4:2)…there is a time and place and a way to go about it. We cannot use the Word of God to prove that we are right and not have a righteous heart. If we are lacking love and patience with them, we are not doing it the way God intended.

Often times pride gets in the way, and we are speaking from a heart of “got ya” rather than, “I’ve got you”. Sometimes we are more interested in proving our brother and sisters wrong than standing with them, loving them and encouraging them in their times where they are not thinking or acting Biblically.

In John 8:25-26 in the NLT says, “‘Who are you?’ they demanded. Jesus replied, ‘The one I have always claimed to be. I have much to say about you and much to condemn, but I won’t. For I only say what I have heard from the One who sent me, and He is completely truthful.’” Can we just appreciate that Jesus stepped back in this moment because what He wanted to say He knew wasn’t what God would have Him say? How many times have we said something on behalf of God and He is thinking that is not what I said?

John 12:49 Jesus goes a step further and says this, “I don’t speak on my own authority. The Father who sent me has commanded me what to say and how to say it.” Not only did God tell Jesus what to say, He told Him how to say it. God still speaks today, we often times are just too busy giving our opinion or saying what we think people need to hear, rather than being quiet and hearing from heaven before opening our mouths.

Jesus was sowing seeds. He was careful to speak only what God was speaking. He did not just say whatever popped into His head throwing seeds in hopes something would stick, with a whole lot of nonsense in the midst.

I am not much of a gardener, but I do remember when I was a kid my parents would grow a garden. My dad would till the land up and create rows for us to plant the seeds in. Then we would go back through and cover up the seeds as a way to protect them from birds and the sunlight. Sowing seeds is a very intentional act making sure that what you are planting has every opportunity to take root and grow. Everything would grow neat rows and orderly and produce a healthier crop.

When you throw seeds there is often chaos and confusion of the seeds that survive. It is hard to tell what are weeds and what are crops early on. Seeds can get mixed up and the plants can choke each other out if not planted correctly. The birds could come along and steal the crops, or the sun could scorch the seeds before they ever have a chance to produce what they were created to produce.

Our words if they are just thrown at someone can produce confusion and chaos in their mind. It can repulse them from God rather than draw them closer to God if their hearts are not ready to hear what you think they need to hear. They can choke out something that God is doing in their life if not delivered in love or said they way God intended it to be said.

We are never going to get this 100% right as long as we are on this earth. We are going to keep messing up, making mistakes, speaking things that are fleshly and not Godly. However, the better we get at keeping our two cents out of conversations and yielding to the Holy Spirit we can be so much more beneficial for the Kingdom of God.

So I leave you with the question that has been milling around in my spirit all day, are you throwing seeds or sowing seeds?