reproduction

The fifth characteristic of all living things is that they reproduce. The female elephant will be pregnant for 22 months, the longest of any land animal. At birth the new baby can weigh 265lbs. After a trip to the zoo one little boy told his dad what he wanted to be when he grew up. “An elephant,” he declared proudly! (True story). On the other hand the rabbit can have a litter of babies up to seven in number four or five times a year and can start breeding from a young age. When I was a youngster it was quite rare for us to see rabbits in a field. Today you do well not to run them down as they seem to live on the verges of most main highways in Britain.

I got married into a family of four. We had four children. When the oldest was five the youngest was born. Life was hectic. Today we have six grand children and the likelihood of more to come. Not only that but all our family live within walking distance of us so our home is often full of adults and children alike. What am I saying? LIVING THINGS REPRODUCE!

As Christ followers – those who are alive to God - we are meant to reproduce. In Matthew Ch 28 v19-20 it says; ‘Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.’ Please note that it doesn’t say go into the entire world and make converts! To do that all we need to do is get people to sign on the dotted line! We are called to reproduce ourselves, to make disciples, Christ followers, to encourage others to follow Jesus and to become like Him.

Jesus told a story about a farmer sowing his seed on the ground. The outcome was that the seed produced a crop a hundred or sixty or thirty times that which was sown. Some seed however didn’t make it, falling on the path or amongst thorns. The seed is the good news of Jesus. My prayer is that we will be generous in sowing the good seed so our lives are fruitful and many more will come to know the love, grace, mercy and kindness of God and become followers too. Be supremely confident in the seeds of good news and scatter it everywhere. Who knows what size of harvest you will get! When I get to heaven I want a string of people to present to Jesus – don’t you?

Geoff Lawton, 30/04/2008