Seed faith is the biblical principle of sowing and reaping, especially in relation to financial giving. The basic concept is that if you plant seeds (give money) to a ministry or church, you will reap a harvest (receive blessings) in return.
This principle is based on verses such as 2 Corinthians 9:6 which says “Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously.” The implication is that the more money you give, the more blessings you’ll receive. Proponents of seed faith teach that by giving money in faith, you’re making a spiritual investment that God will multiply back to you.
Some key aspects of the seed faith doctrine:
Sowing and Reaping
The seed faith principle is rooted in the agricultural concept of sowing and reaping. Just as farmers expect to reap more than they sow, proponents say financial seed planting works the same way spiritually. Giving is likened to sowing seed, which will produce an abundant spiritual harvest if done in faith.
Hundredfold Return
Seed faith teachers often quote Mark 10:29-30 which promises a hundredfold return for things given up for God’s kingdom. They apply this promise to money donated to their ministry, promising donors will get back much more than they gave.
Give to Get
Seed faith is often presented as a transactional give-to-get scheme. Donors are encouraged to give in order to receive blessings in return, whether financial blessings, healing, or other miracles. The implication is you must first sow financial seed before you can reap God’s blessings.
Name It And Claim It
Proponents encourage visualizing and declaring the harvest you want. Naming specific miracles you want to claim and sowing seed towards those outcomes. This is based on the “name it and claim it” Word of Faith teaching.
Good Ground
Donors are encouraged to sow into “good ground,” meaning ministries or churches that adhere to seed faith theology. These groups are seen as fertile ground that will produce spiritual fruit from financial seeds. Donors shouldn’t waste seed on ministries that don’t teach seed faith.
Plant Your Seed of Faith
Ministries ask people to demonstrate their faith by giving a financial seed offering. This could be a one-time gift or recurring donations. People are often encouraged to give a seed that is a sacrifice or beyond their comfort zone to prove their faith.
Seed Manipulation
More extreme applications of seed faith equate the size of the financial seed with the size of the harvest. Sometimes dollar amounts are attached to specific miracles people want. The larger the seed, the bigger the miracle. This turns giving into a means of manipulating God for one’s own desires.
Sowing Into Annointed Ministries
Donors are told to sow seed into “annointed men/women of God,” meaning ministries where the preacher has a special anointing that will cause your seed to produce miracles. This elevates the role of certain “annointed” ministers.
Seed Faith Misconceptions
While seed faith contains elements of biblical truth, many critize it as a distortion of Scripture and harmful theology. Here are some key misconceptions:
– Giving is not a transaction to earn God’s blessings. It should be motivated by gratitude, obedience, and compassion.
– Large or repeated gifts don’t obligate God to perform miracles He otherwise wouldn’t. God’s blessings are based on grace, not quid pro quo arrangements.
– The hundredfold return in Mark 10:29-30 refers to eternal rewards, not always material blessings in this life. It should not be used to guarantee miraculous returns on gifts.
– While giving can certainly be an act of faith, our faith should be in God’s character and promises, not in the amount we give.
– Trying to manipulate or pressure God into performing miracles by giving large amounts can be presumptuous. It puts us in control instead of trusting God’s will.
Healthy Perspectives on Giving
The Bible does encourage generosity and care for those in need. But giving should be motivated by the right perspectives:
– Give out of gratitude to God, not just a desire for personal gain (2 Corinthians 9:7)
– Give willingly based on what you have, not out of compulsion or pressure (2 Corinthians 8:12)
– Give to please God, trusting Him with the outcomes, not to manipulate God or people (Colossians 3:17)
– Give to ministries focused on evangelism and expanding God’s kingdom, not just accumulating wealth (Matthew 6:19-21)
– Give with a cheerful heart and don’t give for show or recognition (Matthew 6:1-4).
Cautions Regarding Seed Faith
The seed faith doctrine is often linked to the prosperity gospel and Word of Faith movement. It can lead to theological errors or be abused. Potential cautions include:
– Treating God like a slot machine – insert money, pull the lever, get a jackpot. God is not obligated to deliver what we ask for.
– Fixation on money and material blessings rather than spiritual growth or eternal rewards.
– Pressure to give more than one can afford, go into debt, or continue giving despite lack of results.
– Manipulating and misleading people using promises of health/wealth to solicit donations.
– Lack of accountability in finances and potential misuse of donated funds.
– Personality cults forming around “anointed” preachers that followers give to out of reverence.
– Discouragement when expected miracles don’t materialize despite sacrificial giving.
Conclusion
While giving from a generous and cheerful heart is certainly biblical, Christians should be wary of preachers who present seed faith as a means of manipulating or controlling God’s blessings. Our motives for giving should aim at pleasing God, meeting needs, and expanding His kingdom – not as a formula for personal gain. And ministries should operate with financial integrity and proper stewardship of donated funds.
When taught in balanced biblical context, giving can be an act of worship and faith. But the seed faith doctrine often distorts godly giving into a give-to-get scheme or prosperity gospel. Christians should exercise caution and discernment when presented with seed faith theology to ensure they are being biblical stewards of their finances.