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Thursday 27 October 2011

The Law of the Seed : Demand less instead have preferences!


First let me make your Diwali more colourful, I have chosen purple in celebration of the festive mood. May the lights shine upon our lives and enrich us.

Some people can't sleep because they have insomnia, last night I can't sleep because I have INTERNET connection
But thank god this week I am back to my normal routine, work, gym, cook, clean and rest.
I got hold of a very interesting book call "What I wish I knew when I was 20" by Tina Seeling
It is a crash course on making your place in the world by reaching your highest potential, finding the right opportunity,creating the impossible, defying expectations, challenging assumptions and achieving amazing results. I hope this book will inspire me with new raising fund ideas for the mission trip.


Lately, many friends complained having insomnia, working late nights, stress, sickness, which got me thinking about sharing "The Law of the Seed"

Take a look at an apple tree.

There might be five hundred apples on the tree, but each apple has just ten seeds.
That's a lot of seeds!
We might ask, "Why would you need so many seeds to grow just a few more apple trees?"

Nature has something to teach us here. It's telling us: "Not all seeds grow. In life, most seeds never grow. So if you really want to make something happen, you had better try more than once."


This might mean:

  • You'll attend twenty interviews to get one job.
  • You'll interview forty people to find one good employee.
  • You'll talk to fifty people to sell one house, one car, one vacuum cleaner, one insurance policy, or a business idea.
  • And you might meet a hundred acquaintances just to find one special friend.

When we understand the "Law of the Seed", we don't get so disappointed. We stop feeling like victims. We learn how to deal with things that happen to us.

Laws of nature are not things to take personally. We just need to understand them - and work with them.

IN A NUTSHELL Successful people fail more often but they plant more seeds.

When Things Are Beyond your control, here's something that you must NOT DO so as to avoid misery in your life:

  • You must not decide how you think the world SHOULD be.
  • You must not make rules for how everyone SHOULD behave.
  • Then, when the world doesn't obey your rules, you get angry.
  • That's what miserable people do!
On the other hand, let's say you expect that:
Friends SHOULD return favours.
People SHOULD appreciate you.
Planes SHOULD arrive on time.
Everyone SHOULD be honest.
Family or friend SHOULD remember your birthday.

These expectations may sound reasonable. But often, these things won't happen!
So you end up frustrated and disappointed.
There's a better strategy. Demand less, and instead, have preferences!

For things that are beyond your control, tell yourself: "I would prefer "A", but if "B" happens, it's OK too!"

This is really a change in mindset. It is a shift in attitude, and it gives you more peace of mind ... You prefer that people are polite . but when they are rude, it doesn't ruin your day. You prefer sunshine...but if it rains, it is OK too!

To become happier, we either need to change the world or change our thinking.

You have to agree with me that it is definitely much easier to change our thinking!

It's not what happens to you that determines your happiness. 

It's how you think about what happens to you.


If after reading the above you still feel miserable, I sincerely encourage you to read “The Bait of Satan” by John Bevere. It is really powerful.
You will learn how to overcome bitterness, deal with offences, and forgive the person who has offended you. 

Escape the enemy's deadly trap. 

If offence is handled correctly, you will become stronger rather than bitter.

And when you are ready to forgive an offence, you will be eager to find a way to make peace.

Just as our body needs exercise, our anti-offence muscle needs exercise. Sometimes it is easy to keep from being offended, but other times it is hard to resist a strong temptation.

Bevere gave these steps for overcoming an offence:
  • Admit you are hurt. Be sensitive to the Holy Spirit’s promptings about this.
  • Forgive the person who has offended you and release him from your attention on his guilt.
  • Practise and strengthen your ability to forgive others when they offend you. This will help you keep injury from happening again. Stay free.
  • Go to a higher level of forgiveness and freedom by praying for the person who offended you. 
  • Go to the person and communicate reconciliation, apology and forgiveness to him. Learn to love them again despite their faults. You are going for their sake, not yours. You've already forgiven him. Communicating reconciliation will seal your forgiveness of him.

Don't worry, The Holy Spirit will lead you in this process at a pace that you can handle. 

It may seem at times that you are only getting worse. 

But trust me, you will come out of the situation a more mature Christian who is thankful for this experience.

When I become bitter, I lose faith in God. 
When someone offends me, I feel I want to fix his/her sins.
When I am angry with someone, my mind focuses on the wrong that person did to me, instead of focusing on the character. My anger often distorts the situation in my mind so that I can’t clearly see the right solution.

I know God wants me to first overcome the bitterness in myself and maybe I would come home from the mission trip learning a way lot more. If I carry anger into the rest of my life, I will be more prone to become bitter with new people in my life. Getting this block out of my life now would surely free me to serve God more effectively in China.


In 2 Cor. 9:6, the Holy Spirit applies the law of the seed to the area of giving. He who gives little shall receive little ... he who gives much shall receive much. The farmer has little doubt that this is true when he puts in his crop. He does not spare the seed. Can we be as sure of this law in other areas of life? Jesus says we can. "Give and it will be given to you; good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap. For the measure you give will be the measure you get back." Luke 6:38. 
After the seed is sown, the farmer waits patiently and with faith for his harvest, expecting God to give the increase. But while he waits, he is busy watering the seed and keeping the field free from weeds. Yes, every seed must be watered by the word of God and persistent prayer. Weeds of doubt must be kept rooted out while with continuing faith the God-promised harvest is awaited. "For in due season we shall reap, if we do not lose heart." Gal 6:9.



A final note, in preparation for the mission trip, I bring you Sanmenxia (三门峡) 2012 

This site will clearly document our feelings and thoughts starting from fund raising through to the end of the journey. 
You can be part of the team by following, donating and praying for us to grow, spread and bring good news. Check out how you can help support us.