“But some man will say, How are he dead raised up? and with what body do they come? Thou fool, that which thou sowest is not quickened, except it dies. And that which thou sowest, thou sowest not that body that shall be, but bare grain, it may chance of wheat, or of some other grain: But God giveth it a body as it hath pleased him, and to every seed his own body”-(1Corinthians 15:35-38).
When a seed is planted, it has to die first before it can grow. Every seed draws life from within itself. The process of dying is essential to creating a new life. Once planted (buried in the soil or ground), God gives the seed its own body which fuels life within the seed. Humans can never fully evaluate the capacity of this life in any seed. We never can tell in exact terms what frontiers it can conquer. While there are natural seeds you can easily recognise because they are readily available in your environment, you will agree with me that there are others you are not able to identify thus, you may never be able to estimate or guess their capacities.
As born-again Christians, we are born with an incorruptible type of seed- the life of Christ. A rare kind! Remember, any seed of corn can only grow into a corn plant! This process and that of bearing fruits begin from the life in the seed. Likewise, as Christians, if we are born by an incorruptible seed- the Word of God as we are told in our text, then, the Word of God alone can fuel our growth! The life or the body of the seed of Christ is the Word! The life of Christ is God’s deposit in you once you get born again. The Scripture says “…as many as received him, He gave power….”.
Going by our earlier illustration on the natural seeds, we understand that no one can really adequately estimate the capacity of a planted seed. You are the seed of Christ!!! And not one person on earth adequately knows your capacity. You never know the value of a seed when it’s in your hand. But when it is planted and then it dies, you see it blossom. Everyday, God, through our life experiences allows the death process to take effect- by removing every baggage and subsequently activating His energy-life- in us. These weaning experiences are usually painful and uncomfortable and a lot of times, they demand for certain behavioural adjustments. Do not stop this process! It is key to your maturity and manifestation as a child of God. Bearing our burdens and dying for our sins was no fun for Jesus but He endured the cross, making Himself of no reputation because of that which was ahead- salvation for man! And Jesus is highly exalted! The main essence of crisis and pain is to make us realize who we really are. We need to know what we measure up to and only challenges can give us the right data. God is working through that challenge that has kept you sleepless even though you do not seem to understand why and how. As we differ individually, so differs the circumstances that come to push us. Every challenge is distinct and because of this uniqueness, we must seek God’s help and wisdom to overcome individually.
The Bible says, ” … those He called, He also justified.” Many people feel guilty and condemned because of the uncomfortable experiences of life. You must realise that God is moulding you. Don’t tamper with or stall the process! Let the Word be your cushion henceforth and you will understand spiritual patterns. Trust God! Lay everything bare before Him, seek Him and allow Him to do what He knows to do best-caring for you! Then, you will become your very best from inside out!
Pastor Poju Oyemade