“Sometimes you have to sow a seed at your point of need. One reason is that it takes your eyes off your problems! When you focus on others, it puts your problems in perspective. And don’t be surprised if a blessing comes out of nowhere.”- Mark Batterson
“Sow your seed in the morning, and at evening let not your hands be idle, for you do not know which will succeed, whether this or that, or whether both will do equally well.”- Ecclesiastes 11:6 (NIV)
Mark Batterson concludes Chapter 10 of Double Blessing with a brief lesson in Newtonian mechanics. There, momentum equals the product of mass times velocity (p = mv). So, when Pastor Batterson replaces mass with generosity, then positivity = velocity. However, positivity means more than just the power of positive thinking. It also means keeping our eyes fixed on Jesus. The author adds:
“Your attitude, positive or negative, makes a difference! And it doesn’t just involve God’s blessing. It increases the velocity of God’s kingdom by spreading God’s love.”
Therefore, think back to the twelve spies who scouted the Promised Land. The bad report ten of the spies brought back infected the entire nation with a negative mindset. As a result, Israel waited forty years before they finally entered the Promised Land. Only two spies, Joshua and Caleb, stayed positive.
In conclusion, Mark asks, do you need to stake your claim to a certain promise? Or a miracle in which you must maintain hope? As the author exhorts, put a stake in the ground and leave the outcome to God:
“Can I remind you that outcomes are out of your control? But inputs are not. You cannot control the clouds, but you can seed them with your prayers! . . . It honestly doesn’t matter how much or how little you make. Our culture mistakenly measures worth by net worth, but God does not. His measure? Faith, but not just any kind of faith, ‘Faith as small as a mustard seed.’ Plant that seed, and see what God does!”
Today’s question: What Bible verses help you sow a seed at your point of need? Please share.
Tomorrow’s blog: “Counting opportunity cost, spiritually speaking”
