Planting and Harvesting for Christ - 2026
Happy New Year!
And just like that, we're stepping into 2026. It's true, the years seem to fly by faster with each passing one. Last year was full, but man, do the weeks zip by. I'm wondering this morning if what we achieve keeps pace with the accelerating calendar, especially as I approach my mid-50s. I suspect the answer depends greatly on the person. I've seen some buy into the "Freedom 55" myth: accumulate as much as you can, then sit back and enjoy retirement through hobby farming. But I've also witnessed others in their late 70s and 80s, brimming with ideas and energy, who seem like they're just getting started on turning the world upside down for God's glory.
As I look back on 2025, I ask in all sincerity: Have I grown and matured as a man of God over the last year? The Bible tells us that genuine faith in Christ, tested and proven, is more valuable than gold (1 Peter 1:7). I believe that deeply, but in assessing myself, I ponder how much real moral progress I'm making. Only God is truly good, yet as Christian men, we are called to become more like Him, to grow in Christ. That alone is a worthy resolution for this year.
Here's how the Apostle Peter instructs us: "In view of all this, make every effort to respond to God’s promises. Supplement your faith with a generous provision of moral excellence, and moral excellence with knowledge" (2 Peter 1:5). That's a lofty goal for me in 2026. If I can honestly say I've become a better person, perhaps a little wiser, morally improved, more honest with God, myself, and others; more consistent; spiritually and physically healthy; a better dad and husband; and someone who works daily to help others succeed, then 2026 will be a banner year indeed.
Trust Jesus this year. Stick with Him. We know that if we follow Jesus and trust Him, He will provide for us and give us meaningful roles in His kingdom. He's our solid foundation. If you've been away from Christ, come back to Him today - what a perfect day to start fresh!
A Wake-Up Call from King Solomon: Loyalty to God Alone
All Scripture is a teacher, and the story of King Solomon in 1 Kings 11:1-13 serves as a serious wake-up call for men in our 50s and beyond. Solomon knocked it out of the park in his younger years. He had a rich lineage of faith through figures like Naomi, Boaz, Jesse, and David. He put words and deeds into action, building the temple for God. His prayer of dedication in 1 Kings 8 reveals a man who truly knew God and sought His heart. Solomon was blessed abundantly by God with wisdom, wealth, peace, and power.
But in his old age, Solomon failed miserably. Despite God's clear warnings, he married foreign women who turned his heart toward other gods. "Now King Solomon loved many foreign women... In Solomon’s old age, they turned his heart to worship other gods instead of being completely faithful to the Lord his God... Solomon worshiped Ashtoreth, the goddess of the Sidonians, and Molech, the detestable god of the Ammonites. In this way, Solomon did what was evil in the Lord’s sight; he refused to follow the Lord completely" (1 Kings 11:1, 4-6). God had commanded fidelity: "The Lord had clearly instructed the people of Israel, ‘You must not marry them, because they will turn your hearts to their gods’" (1 Kings 11:2). Yet Solomon, too smart for his own good, drank his own Kool-Aid. He thought he could play with fire and not get burned. He became more of a talker and analyst than a doer of the Word.
The consequences were severe. God reproved Solomon: "Since you have not kept my covenant and have disobeyed my decrees, I will surely tear the kingdom away from you and give it to one of your servants" (1 Kings 11:11). True to His word, God uprooted much of what Solomon had built, though He remained faithful to His promise to David by preserving a remnant. Solomon's story warns us: Friendship with God is conditional on our fidelity. We can't worship the world or the devil and expect Almighty God to welcome us as friends. But if we wholeheartedly turn to Him, He becomes our fiercest advocate and our best friend.
Like Solomon, it's not that we don't know God's instructions and principles; He makes them clear. Yet we often insist on living counter to His ways. Is there an area of your life where you're convinced you know better than God, where His standards don't apply to you? Finances? Generosity? Helping people? Fatherly responsibility? Work? Sharing the Gospel? Harvesting and making disciples? Marriage? Parenting?
Be honest with God. Let's commit to being completely faithful to Jesus. God wants all of us - wholehearted men and women of the King.
Planting and Harvesting: The Joy of God's Work
So, what should we do in 2026? Let's keep it simple: Keep working hard. If you fall, and we will, get back up. Repent and choose to follow Jesus. This is a year of planting and harvesting for Christ. Be ready at all times to do both. Expect miracles, for with Jesus, we will see miraculous healing, new life, opened doors, and new and renewed friendships.
As followers of Jesus, we are equipped with the seeds for planting (the Gospel) and the tools for harvesting (God's instructions for making disciples and growing the church). In John 4, Jesus teaches His men to be ready "farmers" after His encounter with the Samaritan woman. He tells His disciples, "My nourishment comes from doing the will of God, who sent me, and from finishing his work. You know the saying, ‘Four months between planting and harvest.’ But I say, wake up and look around. The fields are already ripe for harvest. Even now the harvester is being paid, and he is gathering a crop for eternal life. Then both the one who plants and the one who harvests will rejoice together. You know the saying, ‘One plants and another harvests.’ And it’s true. I sent you to harvest where you didn’t plant; others had already done the work, and now you will get to gather the harvest" (John 4:34-38).
The new year is ahead of us. Joy and peace in Christ lie before us as we commit to doing God's work. In God's great generosity, He gives us the job of planting seeds of the Gospel and harvesting people brought to eternal life. Let's make it our mission this year to be men of God who help others - every day.
God willing, that's the theme of our 2026: A year of planting and harvesting for our Savior. May it be a year of great planting, new beginnings, adventures, embarking on fresh journeys, and new life in Christ - and harvesting beyond our wildest dreams. God provides all the opportunities to share the Gospel, and we are responsible to show by how we live that He is real, good, loving, and deadly serious about the need to follow Him for our entire lives.
May we all plant and harvest well in 2026. Happy New Year!
-DB
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