There seems to be something about farming that is special. It is normally not the most lucrative occupation, and many times farmers today lose money farming. Most farmers work a ‘city’ job so they can continue to afford to farm. So why do they keep farming? Well, I believe the main reason is because they enjoy it.
I enjoy farming. I know that I would farm for free if my bills could still be met. There is something about being able to be outside, working in the dirt, watching things grow, feeding the animals, and harvesting the fruits of your labor that seems to fill an inward desire to steward the land.
When I rise early in the morning the waking dawn is just breathtaking. Doing the chores is satisfying as well as great exercise. Basically what I get to do is go around and make the animals happy. Give them feed, fill their water, move their shelters, etc., and when they are happy, my job is done. My daily work on the farm is never the same and changes with the seasons. There are somewhat hard jobs, like processing chickens, setting out thousands of transplants, or working in the heat of the summer. But they don’t last forever and I can finish and move on to something else. There is always something to look forward to. Looking forward to planting the first seeds in spring. Looking forward to harvesting the first crops of summer. Looking forward to the cooler weather of fall. Looking forward to the rest and projects of winter. And the majority of the time I am at home and get to eat every meal with my family, as well as work with them. Almost every day I find myself falling more in love with farming.
But I have begun to realize that merely farming because I enjoy it isn’t necessarily a proper primary motive for me as a Christian. And it’s not a very reliable one either. Because at times there are definitely things I don’t enjoy about farming. Like doing the chores in the rain and mud. Or finding chickens that have been killed by predators . As a Christian, my life is not all about farming. It’s all about Christ. It’s about doing what pleases the Lord who created me, loves me, and saved me. This means that my farming needs to be motivated out of a love for God, not just a love for farming.
Though there are many aspects to God’s commands, we are told that they are all summed up by one thing. Love. Love for God, and love for your neighbor. If our farms are to bring glory to God they must be motivated first and foremost by a love for God and man.
Love is such a misunderstood term today that I probably need to take a moment to give a biblical definition of love. Love is not the mushy gushy, fickle, emotional feeling that American culture tells us. Rather, God is love. Through the ultimate display of love of all time, Jesus showed us that love is an act of the will, accompanied by emotion, that produces action on behalf of its object, even at great personal cost. “This is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his son to be an atoning sacrifice for our sins.” It is this type of love that must motivate our farms.
Most Born Again farmers would probably agree that love should be the motive for farming, but how many of us actually farm as if that were the case? How many Christians go into farming today because of a desire to love God and others? On other hand, how many Christians never go into farming because there are easier and better paying jobs? What does that say about our motives? Of course we all claim that it’s not about the money and that there is nothing wrong with work. But then we go and evaluate something like farming primarily based on how much money we could make rather than on how it enables us to be in a position to serve God and others. We need to repent of claiming to have God’s values, then turning around and applying the World’s values.
If farming is to be motivated by love, does the Bible explain any further what that means? In 1 Thessalonians 4 Paul is writing to urge the brothers to live in order to please God. He then tells them to avoid sexual immorality and encourages them in their love for one another. He then sums up by giving what I consider an application of what love should look like in our lives.
“Make it your ambition to lead a quiet live, to mind your own business and to work with your hands, just as we told you, so that your daily life may win the respect of outsiders and so that you will not be dependent on anybody.” (1 Thess. 4:11,12)
There are four major applications I believe this verse calls us to.
1.-Godly lifestyle: To promote and support, restful, God-focused living.
2.-Stewardship: To work and care for creation.
3.-Testimony: To display the work of the Gospel.
4.-Provision: To provide for the needs of people.
Lord willing, I will talk more about these applications in later posts.
Let’s consider today, “Why do I farm?” Is it primarily from a self-centered motive or a Christ-centered motive? I find both motives in my own heart daily. May the Lord enable us to continually redeem our dirt by removing our selfishness and replacing it with Christ.
I have just found your blog through the Deliberate Agrarian blog and it is great to know that someone across the pond is asking the same questions that I and my hubby are asking. We live in Latvia but come from the UK, we feel called to be here and to live here. God has spoken to us a lot through our management of a piece of land (we are not allowed to own land yet here in Latvia), we also seek redemption of the land
Thanks for the encouragement! Wow. It’s amazing to realize that something I write in our small apartment on our farm is being read by you all the way around the world! Some of our distant family adopted several children from Latvia. I can’t believe the damage the wild boars have done to your property. We have deer and armadillo problems over here in Alabama, but nothing like that. I pray that God will give you wisdom in redeeming the land you currently steward.
In Christ,
Noah
Thanks Noah. I hope that my Masters thesis may help towards opening up a more equitable approach to land management around here.
Nice post Noah. Keep preachin it. I’ve been contemplating the topic of love myself. Mostly between a husband and wife. The world makes it seem so passive, and while part of love is an emotion that washes over you, it is also like you said an active and willing display of a host of Godly qualities and characteristics. Two that could be specifically applied to God’s gift of good land are stewardship and respect. Keep that truth coming.
Also, where do you get your broilers/layers?
Clark,
I normally order all my chicks (broiler and layer) through the mail from hatcheries. A future project is a breeding flock for rearing my own. Here are several hatcheries I use:
-Moyers Chicks
-Meyers Hatchery
-Hoffman’s Hatchery
-Ridgeway Hatchery
Excellent post. You have clarified some things for me about why we farm.
Love the web sight! I would like to order three of your books. Your Mom said I should get them from you, that you get more of the money that way. I am looking forward to giving them to my family, Tell Dorothy I found the magazine on the jewelry, and will save it for her when you come on Wed. Now I understand about the chickens, when you offered to have them weed my overgrown small garden. We will do this this year for sure. Keep up the good work, you and your family are wonderful, and it is so nice to have you here as part of our lives. Love to all of you. Dot
Since coming to Christ on 5th September, 1989, I was burdened for the indigenous Christians who are pressurized one way or another in giving up their faith and convert into Islam by the Muslim dominated BN government but God in His wisdom must have allowed this as the agricultural practices of the farmers still revolved around the wordship of fertility god and goddesses in spite of being Catholics.
Your blog and the insights God had revealed to you are indeed a bonus and blessing to us. We hope to get copies of your books soonest.
Thank you and God bless us all. Shalomn
God bless you
It is an honor for me, that God gives me the opportunity to write. His work and achievements as an organization are admirable.
Greetings from Cuba, I am chaplain and evangelist … but do not want to talk about me or the Cuban context that if you do not know, just always go to google because there is a lot about Cuba on the web.
My dear brothers, Cuban workers, no matter if you’re a doctor or engineer, his basic monthly salary is $ 15, it can reach 20 to 30 dollars and a pair of shoe costs 20 to 50 dollars … I start my letter with this comparison so that you can understand why there is so much alcoholism, prostitution, depression and poor people in Cuba.
But today the Cuban government has opened the doors to anyone who wants to work them land, they give no cost for up to 10 years usufruct, and can request up to 5 horses, Cuba is having more than 100,000 horses in idle land.
Would be great to do, because it is the best option, but we are faced with several issues, first in Cuba is better to sow the land devoted to being a doctor, he earns more money, but a doctor did not study for that … I for example want do but I have no idea where to start, I have 6 acres and need help, experience.
There are many things we can conversarla but then if you are interested.
I wish I could do not one, but several farms across the country with several siblings, financial remuneration purposes of my family, for the ministry and in the same farms create jobs in small mini industries and social programs. I explain the latter, I am chaplain working with prisoners, the elderly, addicts, street youth, loose women, so an agriculture program may be a good idea to get them out of their means and their lives by involving them in the production within rehabilitation program, creating a source of employment and also distracting.
There are many things I want to tell you, but I will not be burdensome.
I write as one Macedonian who appeared to Paul asking: Cuba and help us pass
Also would be great to organize farmers into a national ministry similar to yours.
To see photos of our work please check our Christian albums on facebook: http://www.facebook.com/mmilliansuarez
. Loved if what I write does not fit into your vision or work program, if it is possible to include Cuba in his vision, perhaps you know who advise us, or any of its members are interested in particular … for Please do not hesitate to comment on our request to someone who is willing and able to help us. I think a holiday trip to Cuba to help missionaries might be a good idea for many farmers Christians and even a program with youth from these families.
Now wait patiently God allow me to receive your response.