The Seed

A successful Business man was growing old and knew it was time to choose a successor to take over the Business.

Instead of choosing one of his Directors or his Children, he decided to do something different. He called all the young Executives in his Company together.

 He said, “It is time for me to step down and choose the next CEO. I have decided to choose one of you.”

The young executives were shocked, but the boss continued. “I am going to give each one of you a Seed today – one very special Seed.. I want you to plant the seed, water it, and come back here one year from today with what you have grown from the seed I have given you. I will then judge the plants that you bring, and the one I choose will be the next CEO.”

 One man, named Jim, was there that day and he, like the others, received a seed. He went home and excitedly, told his wife Joy the story. She helped him get a pot, soil and compost and he planted the seed.

Everyday, he would water it and watch to see if it had grown. After about three weeks, some of the other executives began to talk about their seeds and the plants that were beginning to grow.

Jim kept checking his seed, but nothing ever grew. Three weeks, four weeks, five weeks went by, still nothing.

By now, others were talking about their plants, but Jim didn’t have a plant and he felt like a failure.

Six months went by — still nothing in Jim’s pot. He just knew he had killed his seed. Everyone else had trees and tall plants, some with flowers but he had nothing. Jim didn’t say anything to his colleagues, however. He just kept watering and fertilizing the soil He so wanted the seed to grow.

 A year finally went by and all the young Executives of the company brought their plants to the CEO for inspection.

Jim told Joy his wife that he wasn’t going to take an empty pot but Joy asked him to be honest about what happened. Jim felt sick to his stomach, it was going to be the most embarrassing moment of his life, but he knew  Joy was right.

He took his empty pot to the board room.

When Jim arrived, he was amazed at the variety of plants grown by the other Executives. They were beautiful — in all shapes and sizes. Jim put his empty pot on the floor and many of his colleagues laughed, a few felt sorry for him.

 When the CEO arrived, he surveyed the room and then greeted his young Executives. Jim just tried to hide in the back. “My, what great plants, trees, and flowers you have grown,” said the CEO. “Today one of you will be appointed the next CEO!”

All of a sudden, the CEO spotted Jim at the back of the room with his empty pot. He ordered the Financial Director to bring him to the front. Jim was terrified. He thought, “The CEO knows I’m a failure! maybe he will have me fired!”

 When Jim got to the front, the CEO asked him what had happened to his seed, Jim told him the story.

The CEO asked everyone to sit down except Jim. He looked at Jim, and then announced to the young Executives, “Behold your next Chief Executive Officer! His name is Jim!” Jim couldn’t believe it. Jim couldn’t even grow his seed.

 “How could he be the new CEO?” the others said.

 Then the CEO said, “One year ago today, I gave everyone in this room a seed. I told you to take the seed, plant it, water it, and bring it back to me today. But I gave you all boiled seeds; they were dead – it was not possible for them to grow.

 All of you, except Jim, have brought me trees and plants and flowers. When you found that the seed would not grow, you substituted another seed for the one I gave you. Jim was the only one with the courage and honesty to bring me a pot with my seed in it.

 Therefore, he is the one who will be the new Chief Executive Officer!”

 Let’s plant deep in the rich fertile soil of the Lord…

     If we plant in Truth… we will reap Integrity and purity in all things.

 If we plant in Humility through our respect for the Lord we… will reap greatness in Him.

 If we plant in Patience in our suffering  we… will reap perseverance.

 If we plant in Thankfulness towards God and Others… we will reap contentment.

  If we plant in Respect through our words and deeds… we will reap cconsideration.

  

If  we plant in Understanding for others weaknesses …  we will reap compassion.

   

 If we plant in Forgiveness through Compassion … we will reap reconciliation.

If we plant in Kindness with Truth … we will reap True friends.

If we plant in  God’s prepared work for us … we will reap success in the Lord.

If we plant in Faith …we will reap Trust in the Lord

 

      If we plant in Hope… we will reap Joy  in the Lord.

  If we plant  in God’s Love… we will reap a Rich Harvest.

“Whatever we Give To Life, Life Gives us Back” if we give in the flesh we will reap bad fruit …If we give  in the power of the Holy Spirit we will reap good fruit.Although it is very True… we reap what we sow, but the good news is even if we do grow weeds or mess up when we come to full Repentance because we Love God,  He can even use our mistakes for good.  

Lets  also remember that sometimes sadly we suffer when others choose to plant in the wrong soil or do the wrong thing, in fact Jesus Christ was killed and He had never did anything wrong and today many suffer because they are faithful in contending with Him for God’s glory and honour but their reward and Joy will be great. 

So like King David we need to ask…

Psalm 139:23-24 Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.

 

 Then as we walk in Christ Jesus we have His empowering to walk in Love and Righteousness, He has set us free…

Romans 6:21-23 What fruit had ye then in those things whereof ye are now ashamed? for the end of those things is death. But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto Holiness, and the end everlasting life. For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is Eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

  Music – The Potters Hand-