from Pleasant Grove Baptist Church http://bit.ly/2KqTFgB
via IFTTT God brings the growth, not the laborers. Simple concept, but do we truly believe it? Or do we look with stary eyes at the particular laborer we prefer and attribute success to their efforts? I fear this is all too common. Men are often associated with the success, the growth, that comes only through God Himself. When gardening, there are many tasks. 1. Prepare the ground, break the soil, remove the weeds. 2. Choose the proper seeds 3. Plant the seeds into the soil properly 4. Fertilize the soil 5. Water the seeds 6. Nurture the seedling and protect it 7. Continue weeding and watering 8. Harvest properly But none of these steps causes growth. These steps facilitate growth, making it possible, but do not cause it. Growth happens due to creation's mechanisms ordained and controlled by God, not man. Man only manages the environment, God brings growth. Interestingly, man can cause growth to end, due to mismanagement at any step. Man can cause damage through neglect or mistakes. However, man can not actually guarantee growth. It is not in our control. All we can do is set everything right for growth and wait. Life is the same. Church is the same. Family is the same. All the laborers can do is set things right in the environment, and wait for the growth God brings. It is not the laborer not the manager, not the leader who causes growth. It is God. Yes, we must be diligent to do all we can as our part to facilitate growth, but never think that we can "make it happen". We must remain humble and obedient to the one ultimately in charge. That is all we can do and all we are asked to do. We don't have to bring success, we only have to set the environment right! For example, many parents have errant children. Sure, sometimes it is their fault, some part of the process that they neglected or did wrongly. But other times the parents did all they could, did it right , and still the child goes astray. Peace is found in the truth that we are not in control of the results, only our part of the process. Adam and Eve walked with God personally, had no peer pressure, no television, no drugs, yet their child murdered his own brother. All through history good parents suffered watching their own children go horribly wrong. Such is life. We are not in control of results, only process and environment! Now, when we do things wrong, when we act selfishly and neglect our responsibility or even rebel, then we are responsible for damaging growth, for causing a bad outcome. Yet, we can repent of those mistakes and rebellions and be free from the guilt. God who is Lord of the harvest can correct our mistakes and bring about good. It is in hHis hands, not ours. All we can do, even after grave mistakes, is to repent, trust, and obey. That's it. We do not have to power to bring new growth. So relax, concentrate on repentance of mistakes, and obedience, humility, trust for the future. Do what is available to do to set things right and leave the rest in the hands of a God who speaks light into existence. Herein is peace. God is ultimately in charge, not you, not your favorite personality. Trust and obey.
