Again Jesus began to teach by the lake. The crowd that gathered around him was so large that he got into a boat and sat in it out on the lake, while all the people were along the shore at the water’s edge. He taught them many things by parables, and in his teaching said: “Listen! A farmer went out to sow his seed.
Then Jesus said to them, “Don’t you understand this parable? How then will you understand any parable? The farmer sows the word.”

--Parallel verses:
‭‭Luke‬ ‭6‬:‭43‬-‭45‬
[Jesus speaking]
No good tree bears bad fruit, nor does a bad tree bear good fruit. Each tree is recognized by its own fruit. People do not pick figs from thornbushes, or grapes from briers. A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of.

After almost 21 years of fatherhood with five children, raising them is still full of opportunities, a few surprises, and some challenges along the way. Why is this? It is first and foremost rooted in the fact that I am a sinner saved by grace, and I am still in-process. Maybe my kids will look back and forgive me for the ways I may have hurt them as an in-process dad.

That said, I have raised my children with this motto: “Just point them to Jesus and trust that they will see his goodness as he changes me.”

When I think about what I have learned in raising children, there is much to write about. Many pastors and psychologists have written countless books to try and lay out rules and methods for raising kids. There are lots of ideas out there: some good, some pretty bad, and others, well, just evil.

The Bible is the Word of God. It must be the foundation of our lives and the foundation of how we raise our children too. But how can you build a solid foundation without knowing what the materials are — what it is made of? Any foundation other than the Word of God is rubbish.

What am I sowing in life? What am I sowing in the lives of my children?

This is a much skipped over part of the Parable of the Sower, but it is clearly the most important. If the sower sows bad seed, it will not germinate into a good fruit or crop. If the sower does not sow at all, weeds will grow. Some people sow earthly ambition and a “take pleasure in the moment” attitude with how they raise their children (or invest in those around them); and then they wonder why their life does not end up in a good place?

This passage tells me to SOW THE PURE WORD OF GOD into my children (and those around me). Then the foundation of these relationships will be solid.

Lord, we reap what we sow. Help me to sow your precious Word into my life and live it out. This is how you designed me to be — a vivid reflector of your light, a fruit producing child of your kingdom!