Farmers & Faithful Servants

Every time someone says the word "farmer" my dad, Jason Braziel comes to mind. No, our farming operation does not consist of 1000 acres and millions of dollars' worth of cattle, but it has a lot of heart. My dad gave my brother and I chores and rules to follow when it came to our livestock. We had to make sure they were fed and watered after school. We were constantly reminded to turn off the water hose (and unhook it from the faucet in freezing temperatures.) Jason also made sure that we treat our livestock with respect and I even loved quite a few of the show goats, lambs, hogs and cattle. We went to church and thanked God for what we had.

Jason mentions the importance of being a faithful and humble servant all the time, and who better is that, than the farmer? The farmer gets up at the crack of dawn to work hard to feed someone they may never meet. Farmers do all they can for their crops and livestock. They feed, water and pray the that they grow. It definitely reminds me of when Jason Aldean sings, "please let my crops and children grow" in his song, "Amarillo Sky." I think my dad says a prayer a lot like that. 

As I dove into the Word I found a perfect example of this. 1 Corinthians 3:6-9 says "I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God has been making it grow. So neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow. The one who plants and the one who waters have one purpose, and they will each be rewarded according to their own labor. For we are co-workers in God's service; you are God's field, God's building."

I absolutely love that last verse, "For we are co-workers in God's service; you are God's field, God's building."

So lets look at the literal meaning of this passage and we'll dive deeper later. Paul is saying that he planted the seeds and Apollos waters them. Their purpose is to take care of the land. Who does this sound like? A farmer. So were Paul and Apollos farmers? I'd like to think so even though they are called "servants" earlier in chapter three. Paul and Apollos would be rewarded with a plentiful harvest, but it is God who provides it.

Farming practices, however, have changed substantially since Paul and Apollos' time. They went from planting the seed by hand to now using seed drills. I'm sure they watered the crops with pots and bowls they made to collect rainwater, and now agriculturists use irrigation systems. 

You might be thinking; "Well how does this apply to my life?" I'm so glad you asked. Most of you know that I attend the University of Arkansas, and I come in contact with hundreds of people everyday. I can bet that a lot of those people don't even know who Jesus is.

Or better yet, maybe they know who He is, but someone went about telling the story of Jesus the wrong way (what I mean is by forceful means or being judgmental.) Corinthians 3:6-9 tells us the importance of planting the seed; which is telling someone about Jesus, watering it; which is showing His love through your words and actions and then letting God do the rest.

But wait a minute. Can't God do all of this Himself? Why can't He grow crops save people all by Himself?

God needs us to spread the word of His purposes. When Jesus was on the cross he spoke, "It is finished," but our work had begun.

But how do we stay so positive and do the Lord's work and plant the seed for someone else? Let me tell y'all: following Jesus ain't easy! But, it is SO worth it.

So here are my tips:

1. When I'm walking on campus I usually have my earbuds in listening to music. I don't listen to sad songs. Don't do it. Listen to powerful and uplifting songs! I listen to a playlist on Spotify called "Christian Folk/Indie" by Kevin Hou. You can also listen to "Calming Christian" on Spotify as well. Just find some uplifting music and it will make your day 100 times better! Adults, this goes for you as well!! Listen while you are getting ready for work, or on your way to drop your kiddos off at school!

2. When you see someone obviously having a bad day, pray for them. If you're feeling up for it, ask them if you can pray WITH them. That may be scary for some and I totally get it! Instead, pray for them silently and maybe give them a compliment. Compliments go a long way. Just saying.

3. Always smile. Y'all, I'm no where near perfect! It can genuinely be hard to smile some days. Today, my shoes were killing me and I have the blisters to prove it. But, I smiled anyway. You want to know why? They were brand new shoes that my momma got me and I absolutely love them. And I absolutely love my momma. So long story short: smiles are contagious. The joy for the Lord that you carry in your heart will rub off on others.

I really hope these tips help! I challenge you to implement these in your daily walk with the Lord. So onward Christian soldiers, go be the faithful servants I know you are!

That was probably cheesy, but its true.

I love you all. Feel free to share and comment.