"Farmers who wait for perfect weather never plant. If they watch every cloud, they never harvest. "
Ecclesiastes 11:4
Are you a farmer? Although there are many who would answer yes, there are far more of us who enjoy the bounty we do not grow. Thus a farmers’ market —always a destination on a hot summer day—is something to anticipate. There really is nothing like homegrown produce to set the taste buds on fire. But as to what precedes that juicy tomato on my salad, no clue. I’m not even curious. It’s not my job, after all.
But even a cursory dive into Scripture makes it plain that, to an agrarian culture, farming metaphors made perfect sense. They still do, bringing to life concepts that should make us curious. Because at the end of the day we are all called to be farmers—farmers of souls. What does that mean, how does that look, and what can we do to learn the best techniques for the most robust crop? Read on!
Any endeavor begins at, well, the beginning. The field must be plowed to turn under weeds and old crops to decay and to put nutrients back into the soil. Furrowed trenches are dug as a template for the next step.
Soul farmers follow the same process. Instead of using a plow, they walk the land in prayer to soften hearts. Sinful beliefs and practices are left to decay, lifting to God a desire for preparation and change. A clear plan is laid out, step by step, to set the process on the proper course.
On a farm, seeds are sown into fertile soil and then watered. The moisture breaks down the seed coating so the embryo can absorb nutrients from the soil. Farm by farm, each family takes care of their own acreage from start to finish.
But farming souls is not a one-farmer process. The one who plowed may not be the one to sow the seeds. Others come along to plant by building relationships through service, Scripture, and teaching. Jesus shines his love into the mix, much as sunlight and water grow a field of grain. The hard shell of disbelief is opened to reveal the inner person who is able—and eager—to absorb everything about living a Christ-centered life.
A farm duringharvest is a busy place, as crops are gathered in, stored, processed, and takento market. This final step is active, not passive. Soul farmers understand thatalthough much groundwork has been laid, the work must be brought to completion.Only then can those who are harvested become farmers themselves. And spread theKingdom in another cycle of plow, sow, water, and harvest, until Jesus returnsfor the final harvest of his people at the end of the age.
The farm metaphoris not just a pretty picture of children in a field of sunflowers, cavortingthrough the fields on a bright, happy day. Farming is a 24/7, 365-day process —cropsor souls. As Proverbs points out, thework will never get done if the farmer waits for clear, perfect weather. Thereare glorious days, to be sure, but not all of them.
This is so true inmissions. Teams who enter a town, state, or nation to plow in prayer may notget a warm welcome. People and nations are not about change. Old attitudes,values, and beliefs are passed on from generation to generation. That’s badnews, in the context of change. But once a soul is claimed for Jesus,generations can come to saving grace in a lasting harvest.
Many teams have prayerwalked with friends in a multitude of nations. One example is Nepal. Walkingthrough Kathmandu includes passing ubiquitous statues, altars, and paganworshippers. It doesn’t really look like anything is changing, as if the plowhas lost its handle. Those who are prayer walking don’t routinely see statuesfall, hear people ask about Jesus, feel the love flowing through the streets.Plowing is like that. It’s preparatory. Not celebratory. God never lets go ofthe plow or of those plowing.
Traveling through the Himalaya Mountains to a remote village church does not mean being greeted by hoards of Christ-followers. It’s more likely to include a young pastor and his wife, with perhaps a few others, who have given their lives to Jesus. The others have maybe adopted a hybrid practice of old and new beliefs. But because plowing has already been started, there are hearts open to seeding. As teams pray and serve, the love of Jesus is modeled. Scripture is read. The Holy Spirit envelops the place. There may not be a run on baptisms, but God’s Word will not return to him empty.
Then comes thetrip where true change is evident. The young believer who was just starting outhas matured and been harvested. He is now called to plow, sow, and water sothat an even bigger harvest can be realized.
It is rare towitness the entire process from plowing to harvest. So many things get in theway for those who are not full-time missionaries. This is where we meet at theintersection of faith and hope. It’s not necessary to be everything toeveryone. That’s God’s job. Our responsibility is to carry out whatever portionof the farming he calls us to accomplish, in the sure and certain knowledgethat he is the CEO of personal and nation changing revival.
Don’t wait forperfect weather. Ignore the cloud cover. Go out onto your street, into yourtown, through the highways and byways of your state and country, and acrossoceans. Plow in prayer. Sow in the Word. Let the Living Water flow. And trustthat there will be a harvest in God’s perfect timing.
We are, after all,called to be fishers of men. And to be farmers of souls. Amen.