Sowing Spiritual Seeds: 8 Truths for When You Doubt Your Calling
When I became a teacher, I remember looking around and thinking, The needs are so great, and I’m only one person. What difference can I possibly make? The idea of sowing spiritual seeds for God’s glory felt like a long shot. I was just trying to survive.
Two decades later, I’m no longer teaching in a public school. But I often look at the world’s condition and have similar sentiments. The needs are so great. I feel so small. What impact could I possibly make?
Maybe you’ve experienced similar thoughts.
Sowing Spiritual Seeds When You Feel Insignificant
Not long ago, I read the story of Jesus feeding the 5,000. The most obvious lesson of the story struck me as if I’d never read it: Jesus can multiply even our smallest offerings.
We often feel too small or insignificant to be used by Jesus in this world with its endless needs. It can be hard to know where to begin.
Yet when we offer what little we have, Jesus can multiply it for his glory.
And so, to the writer who feels obscure and unseen, keep sharing your words with the world. They matter.
To the teacher who wonders if she’s still making an impact on her students, keep loving, encouraging, and inspiring. You are still making a difference.
To the parents who feel like they’re failing their kids, don’t give up. Your children’s stories aren’t finished yet.
And to the one who has lost sight of the vision to glorify God through the quiet space of a humble calling, keep showing up. Seek God’s face and ask him to help you embody his love. This is a prayer he will answer.
If Jesus can feed thousands with a little boy’s lunch, he can take even our smallest offerings and use them to transform the world.
Let’s look at what the Bible says about sowing spiritual seeds for the glory of God. Be sure to read to the end of today’s post for a free devotional eBook to encourage you as you sow seeds for the kingdom of God.
Bible Verses About Sowing Spiritual Seeds
1. 2 Corinthians 9:6, ESV
The point is this: whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully.
It can be tempting to give less than our whole hearts when it comes to embracing our callings.
Meanwhile, God’s Word reminds us that we reap what we sow. When we pour our whole hearts into the work of our hands, God is glorified. Our labor yields fruit.
This is not an incitement to avoid setting boundaries or push to the point of burnout. More accurately, we are reminded to pour our hearts into the work God places in front of us.
2. Galatians 6:7
Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap.
Your daily work might feel obscure or insignificant. You might feel like you’re just trying to pay the bills.
Don’t lose sight of God’s calling. He has positioned you strategically, and your purpose is to love others. Ask him to fill your heart with his love for the people who cross your path today, and you will sow good spiritual seeds.
3. Galatians 6:9
And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up.
Do you feel like giving up?
Two months into my first year of teaching, I told my parents that I didn’t know whether I could keep going. They encouraged me to keep pressing forward. They reminded me that I would settle into the new rhythm, learn, and grow.
I’m thankful I listened to them and didn’t quit.
Part of sowing spiritual seeds is perseverance. Often, the difference between success and defeat isn’t the number of times we fail; it’s the tenacity to keep going in the face of failure and discouragement.
4. 2 Corinthians 9:10
He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will supply and multiply your seed for sowing and increase the harvest of your righteousness.
God has promised to provide everything we need to follow him.
Are you doubting his provision today?
Turn to him and ask him to fill you with his power and presence. He wants to empower you to be fruitful, and he has promised to give you everything you need to serve him.
5. John 12:24
Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit.
Serving God can feel like dying to ourselves.
Jesus taught that those who follow him must pick up their crosses and die to themselves.
If your labor feels like it’s killing some part of you, talk to God about it. He might lead you in a different direction. More likely, he will show you that he is using the refining fire to burn off the parts of you that are not bringing him glory.
6. James 1:22
But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.
Sowing spiritual seeds includes more than just agreeing with God’s Truth; we need to actually obey him.
Are you obeying God’s Word?
Talk to him about his calling on your life, and he will direct you. He is calling you to do more than merely listen to his Word with good intentions; he is calling you to action. Have you followed him? He is waiting.
7. Luke 8:15
As for that in the good soil, they are those who, hearing the word, hold it fast in an honest and good heart, and bear fruit with patience.
In the parable of the seeds, Jesus referred to seeds that fell in good soil. These seeds represent people who hear God’s Word, hold onto it, and let it lead to fruit-bearing in their lives.
Has God’s Truth transformed your life in such a way that you are bearing good fruit in this world?
If not, commit to spending time in God’s Word. Ask God to transform your life with his Living Word.
8. Luke 6:38
Give, and it will be given to you. Good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap. For with the measure you use it will be measured back to you.
When we give our lives away for the good of others and the glory of God, he blesses us.
Your labor might feel in vain today, but it is not. Continue to serving others for their good and God’s glory.
Every humble and hidden act of service matters.
Calling All Parents (and Grandparents)!
As the parent of two sons and a daughter, I have a heart for helping parents develop deeper relationships with their children and with God. Our kids, ages 6, 11, and 15, share this vision. They have helped me write three family devotionals for parents or older relatives to read with the children and teens they love. You can find all three books here or read more below.
Attention All Boy Moms (and Dads)!
God’s Warrior: Devotions for Boys Who Want to Grow in Courage and Strength helps young boys, ages 5-13, learn what it means to trust God and become strong warriors for his kingdom. Now, more than ever, our world needs men who are willing to boldly carry God’s love into the world. I wrote this boys’ devotional book with our two young sons, Aiden and Caleb, ages six and eleven! You’ll enjoy their honesty as we teach boys how to be strong warriors for the Lord. Find this life-changing devotional book here.
Mother-Daughter Devotionals by a Mom and Daughter
Girl to Girl: 60 Mother-Daughter Devotions for a Closer Relationship and Deeper Faith is written for girls ages 7-12. It includes 60 devotions with Scripture, conversation starters, and a shared journaling section for moms and daughters after each devotion. I wrote this book with the help of our daughter, Bekah, when she was eleven. Find this one-of-a-kind shared devotional here.
Heart to Heart: A Mother-Daughter Devotional With 50 Devotions for Teen Girls is for teenage girls ages 13-20. It includes 50 devotions, each with a shared journaling section to help moms and daughters connect through writing. This is a great book for moms who want to communicate about awkward topics—like dating, sexuality, peer pressure, and more—but don’t know where to start. Bekah and I will help you right here.
Find Our Family Devotionals Here
Find all three books right here. They are also free on the Kindle Unlimited plan, which you can enjoy with a free three-month trial! These books make great gifts, and you don’t need to be the parent of young children to read them. Share them with your grandchildren, nieces, nephews, or the young ones you love.
A Free Devotional to Help You Find Hope in the Lord
I invite you to create space for God to transform your life by downloading a free copy of my devotional eBook, The Lean Into Grace Devotional: An 8-Day Devotional for Healing, Deliverance, and Replenishment. Find it for free here. I also offer a library of free online devotional eBooks for free. I invite you to explore the collection right here!
