I can still remember one painful lesson from my time as a pastor. While the pastor of a church in Orlando, Florida, I spent hours and hours in prison ministry. I assumed that God would help my church grow as I spent time ministering to inmates and their families. I thought that inmate's families would come to my church and then the inmates would also come when they were released from prison. I further thought that if I ministered to those whom nobody wanted, God would send the kind of people to the church that anyone wanted.
It never happened that way.
I finally realized the futility of my strategy when we had one last inmate stay with a family in the church, only to see him leave and rip them off as he left town. This had happened many times, but I stubbornly stayed the prison ministry course as a means of church growth. At that point, , however, I was angry with that man and disgusted with the lack of progress in the church. As I was praying one day, it occurred to me the flaw in my plan. I saw that I had been planting wheat and expecting corn, and I had no right to be angry (although I was). Let me explain what I mean.
YOU REAP WHAT YOU SOW
I had been sowing heavily into the prison ministry and the prison ministry was prospering. The church ministry was not. If I had spent the time on the church that I had spent in prisons, the church would have grown as I had wanted it to. I saw that my strategy was based on wishful thinking and not sound principles. It was like a farmer planting wheat seeds and expecting a corn crop. That would be a ridiculous plan and, quite frankly, so was my church growth strategy. It was doomed to failure from the outset and I was the last one to find out.
So what's the lesson here for you?
SOUNDS SO SPIRITUAL
The problem is that some strategies sound so spiritual, but they aren't. There are those who say that if you serve someone else's vision, God will give you your own. That sounds spiritual, but I'm afraid it's another example of sowing wheat and expecting corn.
I've known some pastors who have taken care of other's children, while expecting God to take care of their own. It sound spiritual but it's a flawed strategy.
I've seen people give their money away, expecting to receive it back it in abundance. They are playing a spiritual lottery, hoping that their next gift will hit the jackpot and bring a big return. They don't invest their money wisely and consequently give more and more out of desperation.
There are those who pray for money and God gives them an idea. They want cash but God wants them to apply their idea and derive their blessing from hard work and diligence. When they refuse, they lack, but it's not because God isn't faithful. It's because they had a bad plan and wrong expectations.
Where purpose is concerned, you cannot spend time doing something that isn't your purpose and expect to make progress. For example, if your purpose is to write, then you must spend time writing if you are going to be successful. Doing everything else but writing and then expecting to succeed as a writer is sowing wheat and expecting to reap corn.
Is it time to examine some of your strategies for success? Are they based on sound principles or wishful thinking? Are you like me, sowing wheat and expecting corn in any area of your life? The good news is that I have sown in my purpose the last seven years and the return has been great. It's not too late for you to sow correctly and reap accordingly. Don't hesitate for a minute to abandon your flawed strategy to pursue one that is based on common sense and God's laws. God wants to bless you, but you have to do your part and not expect God to cover your bad thinking or wrong assumptions.
**************************************************************************************
I have decided to postpone my Alaska cruise for 2008. I'll keep you posted on any future cruise plans.
praise God thank you for putting me back on focus. I've been very busy involved in the prayer ministry
when I am an encourager and leader. I am trusting God to
show me how exactly but mostly its his leaders that he brings me together with. I am doing very little in that
area. So i need to sow more in motivational speaking
and leadership or what would you advise?
Posted by: Gladys | November 05, 2007 at 09:15 AM
Thanks for this article, it has changed my thinking and in the days to follow my actions.
Posted by: Kevin | November 06, 2007 at 09:17 AM
Have done my share of sowing one thing and expecting another!!
Posted by: joan | November 06, 2007 at 06:02 PM
Hey Dr John I hear what you are saying but isn't proserity birthed out of sowing? as in Luke 6v38 give and it shall be given unto you.....?
Posted by: Mandy | November 07, 2007 at 05:45 AM
Very interesting indeed. the memos are always refreshing every time i read them and in one or the other i always get challenged. you are talking about reaping what you sow.
Many are the time we as christians we wonder why we are not seeing the blessings we have been promised in the bible . This article should be a wakeup call to many of us whom have thinking so. We have to be wise in our thinking and the way organise our lives.
I totally agree with you that you cant sow wheat and expect to get corns . You will get corns. I have been working in a certain establishment for close to 4 yrs and expecting working condition to get better pay wise but that has not been so, i sow in church, i am a tither and i have tried to lead an upright life but still nothing as changed. in all theses i find that i have trying to help God while he doesn't need my help..
Let us be wise in our thinking and the way we handle issues and think smart. a businessman will not invest his cash where ther are no returns.Let us be real with ourselves.
Posted by: calvin | November 10, 2007 at 08:56 AM
Hi John!
I've been thinking and thinking about this memo. You said that because you sowed into the prison ministry in Orlando you shouldn't have expected to reap at your church in Orlando. You said that you should expect to reap within the area you sow.
I don't think I agree totally with that. I think if you sow into God's kingdom you will reap, but not necessarily in the same part of the kingdom in which you sow. God's kingdom is far bigger than a plot of land. I think that the reason your church in Orlando didn't take off could be that God had a bigger plan for you--what you are doing now across the world. If the Orlando church had taken off, you might never have started doing what you are doing now where you are doing it. I think you have reaped that prison ministry sowing in the wonderful global ministry God has given to you. He saw how you could be faithful with those who were in no position to give back to you, and He blessed you with the ability to make a difference in lives halfway across the world--what a privilege!
Posted by: Kathy Banashak | December 04, 2007 at 04:22 PM
hi pastor john! just want to thank u for ua visit at jcc-kenya.u were a great blessing! thanks to u,i now know my purpose in life.
And yes,i've done my share of expecting to harvest what i did not sow.now i know better!
Posted by: Muthoni Mwaura | December 06, 2007 at 04:33 AM
Thank you Dr John for your memo on the fear of failing now i am rejuvinated and will continue to work in the activities that i was losing hope that they may fail.
Thank you again on the lecture that u gave at the college of health Sciences on how to be the best leaders
Posted by: Robert Nyajena Zimbabwe | December 12, 2007 at 09:05 PM
Thank yoy for that word - I will definitely do some meditation too see where I am goig wrong - then refocus my energy
Posted by: Paluica Wright | December 17, 2007 at 08:00 AM