Farmers

2 Timothy 2:6
The hard-working farmer ought to be the first to receive his share of the crops.

Sowing in the sunshine, sowing in the shadows,
Fearing neither clouds nor winter’s chilling breeze;
By and by the harvest, and the labor ended,
We shall come rejoicing, bringing in the sheaves.
 - Bringing in the Sheaves, popular Protestant hymn of the 1800’s

The Apostle Paul now uses his third illustration of faithfulness and commitment. If we are to guard the Gospel we must do so as a farmer. I am not a farmer and have never farmed. Even though I have not been gainfully employed in the field of agriculture it is amazing to me how much of my life has been touched by it. One grandfather owned a family farm. My other grandfather was a tenant farmer. My first church was almost exclusively made up of farming families. My church today is in one of the agricultural centers of the south. My daughter married a farmer. Both my sons, although not farmers, have gardens in their backyards. I am not contemplating planting cotton next year but I have learned a little bit about farming. Here are some great quotes that I have heard directly from the mouth of farmers:

If a young man with no farming background decided to become a farmer and he had enough money to get started, he would be smarter to invest the money and live on the interest.
                    East Texas Farmer

When you got cows, you got problems.
                    East Texas Farmer who also raised beef cattle

And here is my favorite farmer quote – I quit raising turkeys, turkeys are nasty.
                    North Carolina Pig Farmer

Needless to say, if you are looking for a hard job – be a farmer. Today’s successful farmer has to be an economist, a scientist, a constant student, a handyman, a mechanic, an optimist, and above all things a hard worker. Crops do not grow themselves. The survival of farming demands the full participation and sweat of the person who farms.

Somehow the modern church has lost the concept of hard work in spiritual things. Many of our church members come to church in the same way they attend a movie. They come into the auditorium, get the seat of their choice, and watch the show. If the show entertains them, they might recommend it to others. Paul describes this farmer in his illustration as hard-working.

There is a certain amount of satisfaction that a farmer enjoys after a good harvest. Certainly selling the crops bring satisfaction, but there is another contentment that is beyond economic reward. There is the feeling of accomplishment. These are the crops that he planted, sprayed, tended, watered, and finally harvested. It is the reward of personal labor, the fruit of which generates a personal accomplishment. That feeling of personal success is never created without the sacrifice of hard work. So many of our churches argue and fret over things that really do not matter. What would happen if we worked like farmers? What if we labored over the gospel with all our hearts? When we baptize at our church it is a tradition to ask not only the family members of the baptismal candidate to stand in their honor, but also those who have had a part in leading them to Christ. That new convert is a fruit of someone’s labor. There is no greater personal satisfaction to be found in Christianity than to know you have had even a small part in the salvation of a soul. Work hard, the fields are white unto harvest.

PRAYER
Lord, help me to work in your field and bring in the harvest you will give me. In Jesus’ name, Amen.