Sowing seeds of truth
By Jim Boesch
“Don’t let your hearts be troubled. You trust in God, and trust also in me. There is more than enough room in my Father’s home. If this were not so, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you? When everything is ready, I will come and get you, so that you will always be with me where I am. And you know the way to where I am going.”
“No, we don’t know, Lord,” Thomas said. “We have no idea where you are going, so how can we know the way?”
Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me. If you had really known me, you would know who my Father is. From now on, you do know him and have seen him!”
––John 14:1-7
As servant leaders you are frequently going to be asked for your opinion, direction and advice on matters of importance.
Your responses to these requests provide opportunities to sow seeds of truth that will be selfless and kingdom-building. Your responses will counter the seeds of untruth provided by our culture to sustain today’s self-serving, all-about-me status quo.
The seeds of untruth provide satisfactions that are immediate and fleeting; the seeds of truth can change lives for eternity.
Opportunities to provide positive direction will often be yours and yours alone. The seeds you sow may not be the most popular, headline grabbing ones, but they will be the best ones.
Examples of seeds of truth are:
- accepting and abiding in God’s unconditional love;
- seeking God through a posture of solitude;
- praying to discern God’s will and direction;
- getting involved in God’s Word by reading scripture; and
- building supporting and nourishing relationships with others.
Sounds easy, doesn’t it? It would be without the encountering more popular seeds of untruth that are going to be sown in as great––if not greater––number than the seeds of truth you are attempting to sow.
There are days you will sow seeds of truth attesting to God’s unconditional love for all mankind among those who are consumed by the fear of not measuring up to the world’s standards of success, importance and value. Just know on those days you will be waging war against seeds of untruth that say where you live, what you wear and how much money you make are of the utmost importance in our society.
There will also be times when you find yourself sowing seeds of truth of humility as you minister to those behaving with pride in order to mask their insecurities before their audiences. Be wary of the seeds of untruth that declare only the loudest, most boastful and arrogant men will survive.
There will be days when you sow seeds that declare it is through a meaningful prayer life that we will be able to determine God’s will, direction and perfect plans for our service on this earth. On these days, the seeds of untruth may declare, “God doesn’t answer trivial prayers and they are a waste of time unless it’s an emergency.” Others may say, “We don’t need God because we know what is best for our own lives.”
When sowing seeds of truth that heart transformation best occurs through supportive and nourishing relationships with others, be careful. Seeds of untruth will say, “No one cares about you; they have troubles of their own, and people can’t be trusted.”
Most people in leadership roles will influence––one way or another–– those with whom they interact. They also may influence them by their absence.
An effective servant leader is always looking for opportunity to sow seeds of truth. These wise leaders also realize the world around them is always sowing seeds of untruth ripe with self-serving, prideful and destructive behaviors that will overwhelm people when left with no alternatives.
Give your men an alternative to the secular worldview by sowing seeds of truth!
You have heard me teach things that have been confirmed by many reliable witnesses. Now teach these truths to other trustworthy people who will be able to pass them on to others.
––2 Timothy 2:2
Jim Boesch, deployed staff member
General Commission on United Methodist Men
Jim facilitates equipping workshops for “Lead Like Jesus,” servant leadership training; “Understanding Men's Ministry,” discipling leadership training; and “Equipping Equippers” learning-facilitation training. You may host any of these workshops in your area by calling him (407-721-0416) or by e-mail.