Mark 4:26-27

And he said, "The kingdom of God is as if a man should scatter seed on the ground. He sleeps and rises night and day, and the seed sprouts and grows; he knows not how." Mark 4:26-27 (ESV)

Jesus teaches that you and I are like farmers. One of our roles is to sow seeds. Most often we do it without even realizing it. For instance, a mother sows seeds by caring for her home and for little people as she goes about her normal routines. Those seeds take root and sprout and grow in the lives of her kids. i see evidence of this in my granddaughters' lives when they cradle and dress their dolls in the same manner that their mother cares for their younger siblings.

A pastor or parent sows seeds of love for God's Word, My Mother sowed these into my life when she sat at the kitchen table and prepared her lessons for the women's Bible study she attended.

Folks who clean up after the church potluck sow seeds of servanthood. Those who give thanks even when it's hard sow seeds of gratitude. Those who sit as the bedside of a dying loved one sow seeds of compassion.

We don't consciously think about our actions as sowing seeds, but Jesus says that's what they are. He says those seeds take root in other people's lives. They sprout, they grow, and eventually they produce a harvest (Mark 4:29). We really have no idea when or how this all takes place. It just does. It's a spiritual mystery in which our actions and attitudes play a part in other people's lives, so let's sow seeds that result in a harvest of righteousness. -Grace Fox

Faith Step: Take one intentional action to sow seeds of joy in someone's life today.