This summer I read Pastor Rob Fleshman’s book, Buy the Field: Find, Follow and Finish God’s Will for Your Life.
One of the aspects about this book that I loved was its biblical bias for action. Like Nike’s “Just Do It” slogan, Pastor Fleshman challenges readers to carefully consider a field and then buy it. Jump in—all in—and get to work.
Sometimes we become so cautious and hesitant that we miss following through on the great opportunities God places in front of us. And sometimes, because we see personal cost or sacrifice involved in following God’s plan, we’re unwilling to step out in faith. But if we would just “buy the field,” acting on the opportunities and directions God lays before us, we would discover great treasure.
The title for and general premise of the book is based on Matthew 13:44: “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto treasure hid in a field; the which when a man hath found, he hideth, and for joy thereof goeth and selleth all that he hath, and buyeth that field.”
But the content of the book is derived from farming and field references throughout Scripture. Pastor Fleshman pastors a Baptist church in Northern Missouri, and although I have not met him, I have no doubt that he draws from firsthand knowledge of living in a rural area. The analogies and truths he draws from Scripture certainly add to the book’s message.
Another aspect of this book that I appreciated was its emphasis on all of our life—not just the “spiritual” aspects—being sacred. So whether you are a pastor or a layman, the field to which God calls you deserves your diligence and dedication—as unto the Lord!
Buy the Field is divided into three sections:
- Part 1, Finding God’s Will, provides biblical principles for discovering God’s unique calling on your life.
- Part 2, Following God’s Will, challenges readers to pursue God’s calling—to persistently press forward through both obstacles and successes.
- Part 3, Finishing God’s Will, reminds readers that the end matters. We should live today in such a way that tomorrow we will be able to say, “I have finished my course.”
The longer I serve the Lord, the more passionately I want to finish the course He has laid out for me.
If you have an aversion to mediocrity, if you are unwilling to waste your life, I’d encourage you to read this book and to take its challenge for action to heart.
