Walk the Walk

Bad seed vs Good Seed...which have you Fed?

• Tina Perry

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Are we simply creatures of habit, bound to the seed of sin we're born with, or can we choose the virtues that define our lives? Join us as we unfold the journey of self-improvement in 'Nurturing the Seed of Good,' a contemplative session reflecting on the biblical tale of Adam and Eve, and the quest to foster goodness over our darker instincts. We don't just talk about the problem; we explore solutions, emphasizing actions that cultivate love, compassion, and forgiveness. As I share personal experiences and insights, we'll see how embracing these traits can propel us away from sin, toward a path lit by praise and encouragement, all while keeping our faith firmly rooted in Jesus Christ's example of perfection.

Transforming our work and personal lives through gratitude is no simple feat, yet it holds the power to change everything. In the chapter 'Gratitude for Job and Blessings,' we dissect the transformative nature of thankfulness, especially in the face of routine and complacency. I delve into the spiritual dimension, inviting listeners to join me in acknowledging Jesus for the blessings we often overlook, such as the beauty of creation that surrounds us and the value of our daily toils. Through candid discussions and shared wisdom, we reveal how sustaining gratitude can profoundly impact not just our own well-being but also that of those we touch.

Speaker 1:

Good morning and welcome to Walk the Walk. I was reading something today about our sin and as I was reading it, it was talking about sin like as us being born with a seed, a seed of sin. And when I started to think about that, I thought you know what that is so appropriate? When we're born, because of the Adam and Eve debacle, we are all born with a seed of sin. Let me ask you what do you do with a seed? Well, when we want to plant flowers or vegetation or I don't know whatever we want to grow as you can tell, I'm a big gardener we plant a seed and when, as we plant that seed, that seed will die and then, of course, it will start to produce an offshoot. And when I was paralleling that to us in our bodies, if we're born with that seed of sin, as we grow we tend to feed, water, nurture sin. Not everybody, but I would venture to say most of us will eventually start to feed or nurture or take care of that seed to where it starts to grow.

Speaker 1:

Think about that. None of us are born perfectly, except for Jesus Christ, who is the perfect one and is the one that we try to strive to be alike, but some of us never get rid of that seed of sin. Have you ever heard of somebody say, about somebody who's just pure evil boy? There's a bad seed there. And that's true. A lot of us, some of us, may have maybe not a seed of sin, but a seed of good. Have you ever had a friend or somebody that you knew, that just man, everything about them seems good. Now we know that they are not and they know that they are not, but they just have this air about them that it's always. They're always good, they're always praising the Lord, they're always giving thanks, they're always good, they're always praising the Lord, they're always giving thanks, they're always helping people. I would consider that to be a good seed, but that's not true for everyone.

Speaker 1:

Look at those who, even as children, we see kids, young children, committing dreadful sins, murder the words that come out of their mouths, or you look at them and you think where is that coming from, especially when they have parents who are not nurturing that kind of behavior. There's that seed of sin that somehow is getting fed. There's that seed of sin that somehow is getting fed. So the seed of sin, of evil, definitely comes from Satan. That's a scary thought, isn't it? That we have this seed inside of us that can be nurtured by more and more evil, to the point of and you've seen them people who do heinous acts on other people, horrible things. And you wonder where does that come from? Well, I think now we know it is definitely a seed, the seed that they were born with, that somehow became nurtured, that became dominant, that became their way of life, even as young as a young child. How do we get rid of that, now that you know, like, oh my gosh, do I still have the tendency to follow that seed of sin? Well, of course we do, Although a lot of us don't allow that seed of sin to be dominant in their lives.

Speaker 1:

There are times where we'll do things. I don't know if I want to call them evil. You know, you may tell a lie, you may cheat a little bit, you may talk gossip, you may do this, but I'm talking about the heinous crimes of murder and torturing dogs or torturing people. Those aren't normal things, but somehow that seed has become their normal. But for most of us that's just not the way of life, although that does not make you the person that God wants you to be. God wants us to be that good seed, that person that praises him, that strives to be like him, that, with the heart of God, that you help others, that you speak words of encouragement and love towards other people, that you aren't a worrier, that you're constantly conjuring up situations which we all know we do. That it's hard not to do, and I don't know if that's a bad seed. I think that's just something that we develop over time, that we constantly are in a state of worry, and we know in Matthew 6, it says for us not to worry, but, man, it's tough. But I want you to focus, start focusing on the good seed inside of you. I am a good person. I know not just being a good person is not going to make you to heaven if you're not believing in Jesus Christ, but I'm a good person who believes in Jesus Christ and, yes, I have my faults, but I don't consider myself possessing a bad seed. Do you? Do you find yourself thinking evil, thinking of ways to get even, to not forgive, to look out not to look out for others, but to look out more for yourself? How can we change that? Well, I say that's an easy change for all of us. That's a mindset, that's something you wake up in the morning and you praise Jesus.

Speaker 1:

Thank you, jesus. Thank you for waking me up. Thank you for the home that I have. Thank you for and I'm going to say, the beauty of my surroundings is all from God. Thank you, jesus. Thank you that I have a husband who's making such a comeback after a major stroke. Thank you, jesus, that every day I get to praise you. Thank you, jesus, that when I die, I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that there's a heavenly home awaiting for me. Thank you, jesus. Thank you for all that you're doing in my life. Sometimes I don't feel like it's wonderful, but the truth of the matter is my life is wonderful and I bet yours is too.

Speaker 1:

If you sit down and start looking at the things that are really keeping you away from praising the Lord on a minute-by-minute basis, you can change that. You can change that. If you're somebody who thinks you have a bad seed, just take a look at yourself. I bet you don't, but there are people that do. It's time to change that seed. If you've got a seed that you just it's not what I want start to water it with different things, nurture it with different things. Different words need to come out of your mouth Instead of us replaying what the possible horrible outcomes could be. Start replaying, lord Jesus. Thank you that tomorrow is going to be even better than today. Tomorrow I get to make a whole new day, a whole new slate of decisions because of you. We have to quit living in our worry, our panic, our hatred, our gossip, our dissatisfaction, and start thinking about how satisfied you are with what Christ has given you.

Speaker 1:

If you're somebody in a job that you just hate it, think about the day when you first got that job and how excited you were and how thankful you were. I saw a Facebook post the other day and it hit spot on. The very job that you're saying I hate or I don't like or I want a new job is the very job that somebody else is wishing that they could have. We get so lukewarm, we get so ungrateful that it just consumes us and it almost looks like a bad seed. Be grateful.

Speaker 1:

Thank you, jesus, for the job you gave me. Thank you, jesus, for the retirement that you blessed me with. Thank you, jesus, that I don't have to work. Thank you, jesus, for the beauty of these mountains, the lake, whatever your view is, mountains, the lake. Whatever your view is, thank Jesus because he made it. He's the creator. He created you, he created everything around you. Thank you, jesus. It's hard sometimes to be that thankful, but I think it's possible. But I think it's possible. Whatever seeds you have inside of you, make it even better. Water it with love, compassion, forgiveness Every day. Be that person that Jesus says Well done, my good and faithful servant.