The seed...a parable
A successful Christian business man was growing old and knew it
was time to choose a successor to take over the business. Instead of choosing
one of his directors or his children, he decided to do something different. He
called all the young executives in his company together. He said, "It is time
for me to step down and choose the next CEO. I have decided to choose one of
you."
The young executives were shocked, but the boss continued, "I am going to give
each one of you a SEED today -- one very special SEED. I want you to plant the
seed, water it and come back here one year from today with what you have grown
from the seed I have given you. I will then judge the plants that you bring, and
the one I choose will be the next CEO."
One man, named Jim, was there that day and he, like the others, received a seed.
He went home and, excitedly, told his wife the story. She helped him get a pot,
soil and compost and he planted the seed. Every day, he would water it and watch
to see if it had grown. After about three weeks, some of the other executives
began to talk about their seeds and the plants that were beginning to grow. Jim
kept checking his seed, but nothing ever grew. Three weeks, four weeks, five
weeks went by, still nothing. By now, others were talking about their plants,
but Jim didn't have a plant and he felt like a failure. Six months went by --
still nothing in Jim's pot. He just knew he had killed his seed. Everyone else
had trees and tall plants, but he had nothing.
Jim didn't say anything to his colleagues, however. He just kept watering and
fertilizing the soil. He so wanted the seed to grow. A year finally went by and
all the young executives of the company brought their plants to the CEO for
inspection.
Jim told his wife that he wasn't going to take an empty pot. But she asked him
to be honest about what happened. Jim felt sick at his stomach, it was going to
be the most embarrassing moment of his life, but he knew his wife was right. He took his empty pot to the board room.
When Jim arrived, he was amazed at the variety of plants grown by the other
executives. They were beautiful -- in all shapes and sizes. Jim put his empty
pot on the floor and many of his colleagues laughed. A few felt sorry for him!
When the CEO arrived, he surveyed the room and greeted his young executives. Jim
just tried to hide in the back. "My, what great plants, trees and flowers you
have grown," said the CEO. "Today one of you will be appointed the next CEO!"
All of a sudden, the CEO spotted Jim at the back of the room with his empty pot.
He ordered the financial director to bring him to the front. Jim was terrified.
He thought, "The CEO knows I'm a failure! Maybe he will have me fired!" When Jim
got to the front, the CEO asked him what had happened to his seed. Jim told him
the story. The CEO asked everyone to sit down except Jim. He looked at Jim, and
then announced to the young executives, "Behold your next Chief Executive! His
name is Jim!"
Jim couldn't believe it. Jim couldn't even grow his seed. How could he be the
new CEO, the others said. Then the CEO said, "One year ago today, I gave
everyone in this room a seed. I told you to take the seed, plant it, water it
and bring it back to me today. "But I gave you all boiled seeds; they were dead
-- it was not possible for them to grow. All of you, except Jim, have brought me
trees and plants and flowers.
When you found that the seed would not grow, you substituted another seed for
the one I gave you. Jim was the only one with the courage and honesty to bring
me a pot with my seed in it. Therefore, he is the one who will be the new Chief
Executive!"
If you plant honesty, you will reap trust If you plant goodness, you will reap
friends If you plant humility, you will reap greatness If you plant
perseverance, you will reap contentment If you plant consideration, you will
reap perspective If you plant hard work, you will reap success If you plant
forgiveness, you will reap reconciliation If you plant faith in Christ, you will
reap a harvest So, be careful what you plant now; it will determine what you
will reap later. Two thousand years ago, Paul wrote to the church at Galatia the
same story but with fewer words, "What you sow, so shall you reap." (Gal. 6:7)
We are grass that will wither and die, but the incorruptible seed of God's Word
will live forever.
Sow it daily into the life of your family! (1 Peter 1:23-25)