Plant Seeds Through Your Love Of Christ

I’ve been in college for some time and I have an upcoming paper for my terrorism class. I had been putting a lot of thought in what I wanted to write and anywhere I turned the same thought came to mind, ‘hearts and minds.’ When I was in Iraq the mission slogan was ‘winning the hearts and minds.’ At the time I thought it was silly and a pointless venture. I now compare myself to Thor from the first movie and Thor from Infinity War. The immature kid who’s willing to plunge a whole world into war from the motives of a few, verses a man who tries to save his people and becomes a leader, a king. While I was not blood thirsty I accepted the war and accepted that we as a more powerful nation had an obligation to stand up against injustice and as a Christian Nation we had the duty to fight tyrants who would break the law as seen by the world counsel. During my time in Iraq we often led humanitarian mission to provide needed aid to poor neighborhoods. Nearly every time we would come under attack by the insurgency. I always struggled with why anyone would attack us when we were trying to give aid to their own people. I felt we were planting seeds of Gods grace and love and they were coming in behind us and destroying our efforts. The truth wasn’t far off but the motives were different. Radical Islamists follow a slightly different code, and in that code they are called to either convert liberal Muslims who don’t follow their code, or kill them. In Iraq many would fall silent concerning the violence that happened all around them out of fear for their own lives. We the United States would offer money in exchange for information, but the insurgency was offering death to anyone who gave the US information. Money or death, the choice was easy. So if those are the types of problems that plague the fight against a growing Radical Islam, how then do we combat that and actually win?

Hearts and minds is the only way to win a war. Violence begets violence and it doesn’t actually accomplish much when your enemy follows an ideology. All we can do is love and share the Gospel. 2 Timothy 2:16 “But shun profane and idle babblings, for they will increase to more ungodliness.”As Christians we must always show mercy and show grace. We must show love and plant the seeds of Jesus Christ. Just as Christ healed the ear of the servant of the high priest, we must attempt to heal the hearts of those who wish to do this lifestyle harm. Luke 22:50-51 “50 And one of them struck the servant of the high priest and cut off his right ear. 51 But Jesus answered and said, “Permit even this.” And He touched his ear and healed him.” We must not just be different on the inside, our actions must show ourselves as different.

Inside prison Paul was being held for because he upset the wrong rich people. He was put in prison without due process and as a Roman citizen he had rights Jew’s did not. Paul had every right to be angry, and to be bitter about the beatings he received, but when the time came his character was glowing. Acts 16:26-28 “26 Suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken; and immediately all the doors were opened and everyone’s chains were loosed. 27 And the keeper of the prison, awaking from sleep and seeing the prison doors open, supposing the prisoners had fled, drew his sword and was about to kill himself. 28 But Paul called with a loud voice, saying, “Do yourself no harm, for we are all here.” Paul not only decided to do what was right by not leaving himself, he managed to talk the prisoners into staying in the prison showing mercy on the warden who would have taken his own life in disgrace. Note: Had prisoners escaped the penalty to the warden was a very uncomfortable form of public execution.

As Christians we must remember that every day is an opportunity to sew great things. We have the opportunity every day to show love and grace to any who would see us. Galatians 6:10 “Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all, especially to those who are of the household of faith.” Every moment of our day we have a chance to leave this world a slightly better place. We have the chance to plant seeds of love and hope they will take hold. We also have a choice to plant seeds of thorns and thistles which like weeds would choke the life out of healthy plants. We don’t want to be that kind of seed. We don’t want people to look to us and saying ‘if that’s what it means to be a Christian I don’t want any part of that.’ I’ve heard far to often about people who go to church for the first time and are met with judgment and cold shoulders. Sometimes, most of the time we only get one chance to make a good impression and how often do we waist that chance? If we plant thorns we will certainly get pricked and bleed. We must always live well and sow the Holy Spirit. We must learn to take care and nurture our seeds, and never grow weary in doing good, Galatians 6:9 “And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart.”.

When we evangelize to the world, and we go out and we spread the seeds of Jesus Christ to all the world, our one hope for peace in our time is love. We must not grow weary in this world wide fight. Terrorism is a household world now, but if we are to win it, it will not be by the number of bombs we drop, but by the number of hearts we can change. While there is a time for war, and a time for attack, we must remember that while there is a time for violence, we must always maintain our Christian walk. It’s not up to us to plant the seed, tend the garden, raise the plants, harvest, and reap what we sow in its entirety. We may only be a link in the long chain, but that link is just as important as any others. If the link breaks the whole line is broken. Evangelism is a Christian team effort and we must remember that in a war we must not grow bitter and full of anger. There to we must plant the seeds of the Lord and only take in what nourishes us, not what will smother the good seeds. Be patient and one day a harvest of bounty may spring forth. Love your enemy always, and one day perhaps those who follow Islam will turn to those who are considered extremist Jihadists and say no more. Love will bring peace, not hate. This blood feud has gone one for far too long, and it’s time to answer hate with grace, and mercy.

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