January 31 Every Business, Family, and Team use Seeds.

Winter is still here in the Midwest of the United States, but spring is around the corner. That means that gardeners and farmers will set their minds to the flowers, plants, and crops of the season.

They will be laying out the plans of what gets planted where and will envision what they will look like when they grow. As a leader, what plans have you made for the remaining eleven months? Yes, the first month is gone. For farmers and gardeners, the seed selection is critical.

If you pick the wrong seeds, then one might expect that the visioning process will not match to the harvest. If you choose dandelion seeds to plant but are expecting sunflowers the results will not match and time will slip away so you might miss the planting season.

If one chooses either in error, then chances are you will be disappointed if you do not catch the opportunity to make a correction early. As a leader, does your team know what harvest is going to happen and have you selected the appropriate seeds?

The end of January is a great time to do an audit to assure that the rest of the year brings value. Where have you grown your team, expanded your offerings, and brought more value? What adjustments can you make now that could increase your harvest by double or even ten times?

The only thing that is keeping your team from such an accomplishment is likely your own adjustments. Measuring and monitoring allow us to take the opportunity to have laser precise focus. What is the first thing that you can do about it in the next seven days?

The scriptures of the Bible may be the seeds God chooses to help us to grow in his love. The stories and messages are meant to be planted in us for us to digest, ferment and grow.

If we take the time to read, listen and live with those scriptures, the garden that God may plant in us will match his plan for the harvest. What seeds will you allow to be planted in you?

 Societies around the world will choose seeds for you if we do not make the choices ourselves.

Will we allow entertainment, maybe the television, perhaps a book like Harry Potter or maybe seeds of the money tree to be planted in us? What harvest will we reap and what might we expect to bloom with those seeds?

When we live with intention, we might keep our garden to the design that God has for us. There are plenty of weeds willing to sprout up and choke out God’s seeds if we do not keep watch. January is gone. If you were reading through the Bible on a one-year planner model you would already be through the book of Genesis. Where do you need to do some gardening in your faith?

Let us pray, Heavenly Father, you are the Creator of the most beautiful garden. You started with the garden of Eden and now you garden in us. This year inspire us to be moved by your seed. Inspire us with the words of the Bible.

Set on us a desire to know your seed and to plant it in us. Help us to eliminate the weeds in our garden. Open our eyes to do some gardening and farming so that we may grow in your love. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen,