A tomato seed is planted in the ground. One day, the seed sprouts and begins to grow. Eventually it turns into a handsome plant and a few small tomatoes start to grow.
“I think I would like to keep all of my fruit to myself.” The tomato plant says to itself as it admires its ripening fruit. Over the next few weeks, the fruit turns from a pale green to a deep red. The plant is proud of its fruit and spends hours just gazing at it.
“I think I would like to keep all of my fruit to myself.” The tomato plant says to itself as it admires its ripening fruit. Over the next few weeks, the fruit turns from a pale green to a deep red. The plant is proud of its fruit and spends hours just gazing at it.
Days pass, and slowly the plant watches as the fruit starts turning a strange shade of brown and slowly begins to shrivel up.
One day, the plant no longer can stand the smell of the rotting fruit and tearfully lets it fall to the ground.
Large rain clouds roll in overhead and a giant storm looms on the horizon. Large drops of water plop here and there and multiply in strength and speed. Soon buckets of water are flying down from the clouds and landing on the earth below. A nearby stream smiles to itself as it grows with each passing moment. Suddenly he has a bright idea.
“I don’t want to share all of this water with anyone. Why not keep it all for myself?”
When the storm is finally over, the stream is doubled in size and is starting to form a small pond. The stream smiles with pride, imagining how huge he will someday be.
Over weeks and months, the stream which turned into a pond slowly grows into a small lake. The lake looks at himself to admire how huge and beautiful he is but he gasps in horror at what he sees. He stares into a mass of green water and slime. Clumps of slime cover the water and are growing up from the bottom of the lake. Dead fish are floating all over the surface and weeds have grown up in every corner. There are no signs of life anywhere.
Christ calls upon us to labor patiently and perseveringly for the thousands perishing in their sins, scattered in all lands, like wrecks on a desert shore. Those who share in Christ's glory must share also in His ministry, helping the weak, the wretched, and the despondent… Those who do not impart the light they have received will one day realize that they have sustained a fearful loss. 9T 32.1
Now is the time to form a character unto eternal life, to receive light, and to make the most of your precious opportunities to diffuse light. It is by imparting that which you receive, that you will grow in grace and in Christian experience, becoming a worker together with God. 20MR 77.1
Our mission to the world is not to serve or please ourselves; we are to glorify God by cooperating with Him to save sinners. We are to ask blessings from God that we may communicate to others. The capacity for receiving is preserved only by imparting. We cannot continue to receive heavenly treasure without communicating to those around us. COL 142.3
What if the tomato plant decided to share its tomatoes with others? Instead of rotting uselessly on the plant, the tomatoes would have given strength to those that ate them. If the stream hadn't kept all of its water, it would've stayed a beautiful fresh stream, constantly giving and constantly receiving. Let’s not produce rotten tomatoes and dead fish. God is calling us to share the light He has given us!
One day, the plant no longer can stand the smell of the rotting fruit and tearfully lets it fall to the ground.
Large rain clouds roll in overhead and a giant storm looms on the horizon. Large drops of water plop here and there and multiply in strength and speed. Soon buckets of water are flying down from the clouds and landing on the earth below. A nearby stream smiles to itself as it grows with each passing moment. Suddenly he has a bright idea.
“I don’t want to share all of this water with anyone. Why not keep it all for myself?”
When the storm is finally over, the stream is doubled in size and is starting to form a small pond. The stream smiles with pride, imagining how huge he will someday be.
Over weeks and months, the stream which turned into a pond slowly grows into a small lake. The lake looks at himself to admire how huge and beautiful he is but he gasps in horror at what he sees. He stares into a mass of green water and slime. Clumps of slime cover the water and are growing up from the bottom of the lake. Dead fish are floating all over the surface and weeds have grown up in every corner. There are no signs of life anywhere.
Christ calls upon us to labor patiently and perseveringly for the thousands perishing in their sins, scattered in all lands, like wrecks on a desert shore. Those who share in Christ's glory must share also in His ministry, helping the weak, the wretched, and the despondent… Those who do not impart the light they have received will one day realize that they have sustained a fearful loss. 9T 32.1
Now is the time to form a character unto eternal life, to receive light, and to make the most of your precious opportunities to diffuse light. It is by imparting that which you receive, that you will grow in grace and in Christian experience, becoming a worker together with God. 20MR 77.1
Our mission to the world is not to serve or please ourselves; we are to glorify God by cooperating with Him to save sinners. We are to ask blessings from God that we may communicate to others. The capacity for receiving is preserved only by imparting. We cannot continue to receive heavenly treasure without communicating to those around us. COL 142.3
What if the tomato plant decided to share its tomatoes with others? Instead of rotting uselessly on the plant, the tomatoes would have given strength to those that ate them. If the stream hadn't kept all of its water, it would've stayed a beautiful fresh stream, constantly giving and constantly receiving. Let’s not produce rotten tomatoes and dead fish. God is calling us to share the light He has given us!
-Hannah Evert
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