By the sweat of their brow farmers work the land and tend their livestock. They remain close to the earth and the rhythms of nature. And this instills a faith that’s easy to forget by others.
To be sure, farmers are not lazy. Perhaps more than anyone else they understand they will not eat if they do not go to work. But this hard work is still grounded in faith – knowing that many things are beyond their control and ultimately trusting in God for his provision.
For instance, while the farmer might plant seeds and raise cattle, he cannot control the weather, how well his crops do that year, or if an animal dies. He can only do what he’s capable of doing and he must have faith beyond that. And there’s no need to blame himself or others for these hardships outside of his control. This requires a good dose of humility and courage. The courage to keep showing up and working hard, and the humility to remember he’s not in control and to rest in God’s grace and mercy toward him.
What the farmer knows is wisdom for us as well.
Because so much in our modern world appears under our control we don’t regularly exercise our faith in trusting God. And, when things don’t work, we redouble our efforts while likely casting a lot of blame on others or toward ourselves along the way. The assumption is that we’re the ultimate masters of our fate and responsible for everything that happens in life. But this is nothing short of pride.
Like the farmer, we’re responsible for doing the work God has assigned us to do. But we must also live by faith – remembering much is outside of our control. Of course, we still work hard, but we also don’t worry or fret when the storms of life come our way. We keep our eyes fixed on God who brings the sun and rain each in his own wisdom.
In the end, learn from the farmer who works hard without forgetting his faith – doing what you can while trusting the outcomes to God.
