Alvin Barnes of Jackson, Mississippi, A Seed That Dies to Bear Fruit

By Alvin Barnes of Jackson, Mississippi

"Very truly I tell you, unless a grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds."— John 12:24

What good is a seed that never bears fruit? What purpose does it serve if it refuses to die, to surrender, to break open so something new can grow?

The truth is, there can be no fruit without death, and not just physical death, but the death of the ego, the death of selfishness, the death of clinging to this world. Even Jesus Christ, who was without sin, had to die so that salvation could come into the world. That death was not defeat—it was the doorway to eternal life.

And so it is with us.

When we cling to our desires, when we chase our own will and strive to build comfort in this life alone, we’re holding tightly to something temporary. Jesus warns us of this plainly: "Whoever loves his life loses it, and whoever hates his life in this world will preserve it for eternal life." (John 12:25, CSV)

To bear fruit in God's kingdom, we must surrender. Not once. Not just at the altar.But daily. Moment by moment.

We must die to our way of doing things—our pride, our control, our plans—so that God can bring forth something greater through us. A seed that stays whole will never become a tree. It must crack open in the soil, hidden from sight, vulnerable and unprotected, so that roots can take hold and new life can grow.

Likewise, spiritual growth begins with letting go.

The question we each have to ask is: Are we willing to die to ourselves so we can live in Christ?

Because every time we give up our selfishness, every time we lay down a grudge, every time we silence our ego and say, "Thy will be done,"—we are becoming more like Christ. We are surrendering this world so we can gain the next.

The world says, "Preserve yourself."The cross says, "Lay yourself down."

And in that surrender, in that death to the world, something eternal begins to bloom.

We are not here to stay seeds.

We are here to bear fruit.

Peace and Love,

Alvin Barnes of Jackson, Mississippi

Alvin Barnes of Jackson, Mississippi