Relational Disciplines (6)

He answered and said to them: “He who sows the good seed is the Son of Man.”  Matthew 13.37

Sent like Jesus
Believers in Jesus have been sent like Him to bring near the Kingdom and love of God to the people of this world. This work involves us in relationships with all kinds of people, especially those we see week-in and week-out in our Personal Mission Fields. By mastering a few basic disciplines – seeking, serving, and shepherding – we can position ourselves as agents of transforming grace to the people we see each day.

Jesus also explained that central to His mission of bringing near the Kingdom of love was the work of sowing the Word of God. This He undertook in wide variety of ways and settings, formally and informally, in large groups and small, among those who despised Him as well as with those who had become His followers, in casual conversations and in designated times of instruction, in response to questions and as questions posed to others.

As sowing the Word was an important component of Jesus’ relationships, so it must be of ours as well. Being able to sow the Word among those we are daily seeking, serving, and shepherding requires that we prepare well, anticipate clearly, and make the most of every opportunity to which the Lord brings us each day.

Preparing to sow
We will not be in a position to sow the Word in our Personal Mission Fields if we are not first of all sowing the Word into our own lives. Here there is no substitute for daily reading, meditation, and study in Scripture, for practicing those disciplines that let the Word of Christ dwell in us richly so that we will be ready to give an answer for the hope that is within us and to teach or admonish others as needed (Ps. 119.9-11; 1 Pet. 3.15; Col. 3.16).

The Apostle Paul commands us to let the Word of Christ dwell in us richly. Once again we see why the practice of spiritual disciplines is so important. Without those daily disciplines of the Word – reading, meditation, and study – not only will we have little to sow into the lives of others, but our own lives will lack the credibility we need to share confidently and persuasively from the Word of God.

We must seek specific guidance from the Word for all aspects of our lives, both the inward life of our soul and the outward life of our relationships, roles, and responsibilities. The Word of God must become the lamp which guides our steps in every area of our lives (Ps. 119.105). Only then will we be ready to sow the Word as is appropriate into the lives of others.

Sowing the Word
But what does that entail? How should we expect to sow the Word as part of our daily practice of relational disciplines?

First, by our lives. As followers of Christ we are called to bring holiness to completion in the fear of God (2 Cor. 7.1). This means the Word of God must inform, shape, and guide all aspects of our being in the world – our marriages and families, work, involvement in culture and politics, our hopes, aspirations, and dreams – everything.

The Bible is able to equip us for every good work (2 Tim. 3.15-17), so it behooves us to search the Scriptures daily in order to discover its teaching for all aspects of our live (Acts 17.11). As the Spirit of God, working with the Scriptures, shapes and molds us into the image of Jesus Christ, how we live our lives, in every area of our lives, will refract His indwelling presence in uniquely Biblical ways. Motivated by the hope of knowing and expressing God’s glory, we will bring our lives into line with Scripture, so that in every area of our lives we might do those good works that glorify God (Matt. 5.13-16; 1 Cor. 10.31).

As Peter suggests, such a way of living will pique the interest of others, prompting them to ask us to explain ourselves (1 Pet. 3.15). We can sow the Word into the lives of others as often as they express some interest in us – in what we believe or how we conduct ourselves.

But we should also feel free to share with others things we are learning from the Scriptures, or Scriptural perspectives on the issues and events of the day. Don’t people do this with one another quite freely? Don’t they talk about new technologies they’re learning, important ideas they’re considering, or ways they are changing their thinking about this, that, or something else? Why should we exclude from such conversational fodder our own experience of growing in the grace and knowledge of the Lord?

We must also be ready with the Word of the Gospel to share, as often as the Lord gives us opportunity to do so. The first believers, chased out of their familiar surroundings by the threat of persecution, went everywhere “gossiping the Gospel,” as Michael Green so eloquently put it (Acts 8.1-4). Like them, and like our Lord Jesus Christ, we must prepare and be ready to sow the Word into all our relationships with others, as anexplanation for our lifestyle and an invitation to new life in Christ.

Next steps: What opportunities for sowing the Word will you have today? How should you prepare to sow the Word? Ask a believing friend to pray for you today as you go forth, sent like Jesus, to sow the Word of God.

T. M. Moore

This week’s study, Relational Disciplines, is part 4 of a 7-part series on The Disciplined Life, and is available as a free download by clicking here. We have prepared a special worksheet to help you begin getting your disciplines in proper shape for seeking the Kingdom. Write to T. M. at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. for you free PDF of the “Disciplined Life Worksheet.”

A rightly-disciplined life requires a Kingdom vision, and that vision is centered on Jesus Christ exalted. T. M. has prepared a series of meditations on the glorious vision of Christ, based on Scripture and insights from the Celtic Christian tradition. Order your copy of Be Thou My Vision by clicking here.

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Except as indicated, Scripture taken from the New King James Version. © Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.