December 24, 2022

Acts 8: 4 (NIV)

Those who had been scattered preached the word wherever they went.

Discipleship must be as intentional as conversion.*

When I read this verse, I imagine Christians going out into the world, randomly sharing the gospel as they go – like Johnny Appleseed planting apple trees. While there may be some similarity between the scattered Christians and the famous tree planter, the reality is not quite how I pictured it. My research on John Chapman revealed that his seed-scattering was anything but random. He planted strategically.* Research indicates that he carefully selected and prepared the spot and, after planting the seeds, returned at regular intervals to tend the plot and the trees.*

Sharing the gospel as we go about our lives is exactly what Jesus commanded before he ascended into heaven. Whether he intended for us to be so random about it is questionable. Sometimes, we are actually planting seeds unknowingly as others see us walking in faith, but that does not excuse us from being deliberate in sharing the gospel as we go. We should be planting our seeds in carefully selected soil and faithfully tending it. In nature, some seeds will grow and produce fruit without any human intervention. But sharing the seeds of the gospel should be accompanied with prayer and constant care. It is true that even our best efforts may not produce results but without the Holy Spirit’s intervention, our crop is doomed.

Personal transformation is the Spirit’s work.*