6 Keys to Successful Christian Agriculture

What areas of our life and farm should we be monitoring if we want to glorify God through our agriculture?

Most Christians involved in agriculture would probably say they wanted to glorify God through what they do. We want to be successful not just as gardeners, homesteaders, or farmers, but as followers of Jesus. But sometimes it can become vague whether or not we are actually doing this. So what are some things we can consider as important indicators of whether we are succeeding as Christian farmers?

We want to be successful not just as gardeners, homesteaders, or farmers, but as followers of Jesus.

In my life I tend to swing back and forth between focusing too much on my agrarian activities to the exclusion of my relationship with my Creator, and focusing on spiritual things without actually getting out and obeying and applying those things. It is important to be faithful with the things God has entrusted to me, like my land, business, family, but I must not let them distract me from the relationship with my Savior that is the foundation of them all. And as critical as it is to read my Bible and pray (which I just finished doing before writing this) I must not be content with merely hearing from God, I must then go and find how to obey and live in light of what I learn even in the way I garden or farm.

So what are some ways that I pursue this balance as a Christian farmer?

I definitely do not have it figured out and wrestle with this daily, but here are 6 key areas summed up in the acrostic, FARMER, that are helpful for me to look at in my life.

Faith: The first area I need to look at is my faith. How is my relationship with God? Do I rely on Him to call the shots and give me wisdom and strength for each day on my farm, or do I only run to him when things get tough? Do I desire to spend time with Him? Is He present in my thoughts throughout the day? 1 Corinthians 3:11 says, “For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ.” If I want my farm to have a solid foundation I must make sure I am building on the humility, unselfishness, and faithfulness of Jesus.

Awareness: There are many areas of my life where I fail to reflect what I say I believe because I am not consciously aware of the discrepancy. I haven’t taken the time to evaluate the consistency of my life. It is important for me to keep asking the question, “How does this reflect my faith in Jesus and his heart and how can I do so more?” This applies to the way I lay out my garden, how I include or don’t include others in my garden work, how I market my produce, how I structure my business, how I treat the soil, etc. If I am a repentant rebel farmer, I must realize my need to re-submit every area of my life to the Lordship of Jesus. To fail to do so is to remain in or default back to rebellion and doing things my own way.

If I am a repentant rebel farmer, I must realize my need to re-submit every area of my life to the Lordship of Jesus.

Relationships: Another area I need to look at is how I am doing in my relationships. What I do on my farm is important because it provides opportunities for relationships. The opportunity to respond in obedience to God through caring for his creation. The opportunity to serve others through providing wholesome food. The opportunity to work with others, often family members. These opportunities are great and allow us to sow into relationships that will last for all eternity. But I can often fail to take advantage of these opportunities. I can sacrifice relationships for the sake of the farm. My work can distract me from the Lord, put a strain on my marriage, take away from my time with my kids, and keep me from reaching out to those who have needs in my community. This indicates that I have a short-sighted, self-centered heart in my work and I need to repent. If I am prioritizing people like God wants me to as a farmer my relationships should be displaying good fruit.

Methods: If I want to glorify God I need to be looking at my methods, at the way I choose to run my farm. Why is this important? Because the Bible is clear that what we do and say is an overflow of our hearts. Am I reflecting the heart of Jesus in what I do? Does the way I raise chickens or tomatoes show a value and appreciation for life? Am I acknowledging my own limited knowledge and seeking to honor God’s design and wisdom in the way I prepare and care for the soil? Why do I grow things the way I do? Am I seeking to make progress in this direction each season? Am I even willing to evaluate my methods?

Excellence: I addition to the production models I choose, the way I manage my farm or garden also reflects my heart. I have a friend who said, “You can tell the state of a man’s heart by the way his field looks.” This echoes what Proverbs 24:30,31 says, “I went past the field of the sluggard, past the vineyard of the man who lacks judgement; thorns had come up everywhere, the ground was covered with weeds, and the stone wall was in ruins.” If I want to glorify God I should be seeking to emulate his nature in the way I manage my farm; reflecting his timeliness, high standards, lack of waste, and expressing the joy that comes from working with Him.

“You can tell the state of a man’s heart by the way his field looks.”

Reach: As a Christian I am not only a steward of God’s Creation, but I am also an ambassador of God to others. God wants to use my life and farm to share his message of reconciliation and redemption with the lost world around us. He also wants us to model obedience to Jesus and help other Christians grow in their obedience. If my farm is not reaching my community and having an impact, am I really living out my faith? If we really believe the gospel and the implications it has on our life and eternity we will naturally find ways to show love and share the hope we have with others around us. This may be through our conversation as we give a tour of our garden, or in our generosity with our produce, or the care we show to our customers. But if we are truly following Jesus as we farm God will use us to draw men to himself.

Conclusion: It is easy to fall into evaluating success in our agriculture in only one or two areas without taking into account everything God has called us to. Ideally the fruit we are called to produce should come naturally as we learn to be led by the Spirit. When we walk with God and listen to him through Scripture and prayer our heart will be changed and we will want to live differently as farmers. Our heart change will produce a hand change. And as we see that change in our own life we will want to share it with others. Breathe in, apply, breathe out.

As you look at your own life and farm how are you doing in the areas of Faith, Awareness, Relationships, Methods, Excellence, and Reach? Share your thoughts in the comments below!