Daisies are amazing little flowers that cover the hills of Namaqualand in the winter. At this time, they are so common that they paint the once-dull fields bright hues of orange and yellow. Due to their commonness, many see their beauty as the ability to flower en mass and they fail to stop for awhile to contemplate the individual daisy. In truth, the complexity to be found within each daisy flower head is so incredible that when you study it carefully, you can only stand in awe of its great Designer. I think it is safe to assume that the Lord created such wondrous complexity in something so seemingly insignificant so as to teach those who would stop and examine it for a moment. You see, the daisy ‘flower’ is actually a composite head of many tiny real flowers. These tiny flowers seem pathetic and hopeless when they are separated and studied separately, but in the way they are placed within the flower head ensure the reproductive success of each daisy.
The first thing that strikes a casual observer of a daisy is the petals, which come in every shade and hue available in the natural world. Each petal is known as a ray by botanists, as each ray belongs to a tiny floret located on the edge of the flower head. The ray florets on their own are quite useless, despite their showy appearance. They are not able to produce seeds of themselves and their sole work is to attract pollinators to the flower head, which deposit pollen on other florets within the flower head that then produce seed. These other florets are like perfect mini-flowers, complete with both male and female parts and tiny petals. They do the real work of the flower – producing seeds. These florets may seem perfect on their own, but the fact is they would not be able to attract pollinators without the ray florets. Lastly, right in the centre of the flower head are florets that have not opened yet and will open as the season continues, thus ensuring that the daisy has a prolonged period of time in which it can be pollinated.
This may seem like a detailed account of incredible complexity, but I’ve barely scratched the surface of daisy biology. But, “Why?” you wonder, have I bothered to go into the whole story, and “What?” exactly has all this got to do with the church? Well, I think there is a lesson to be learnt in every aspect of creation; the Creator put it there not only for His pleasure, but for our instruction. The closer you look at what He has made, the more you understand from His lesson.
Although I’m sure there are many ways to relate the structure of a daisy to our walk with the Lord, the one that was impressed upon me was how the structure of the daisy flower head relates to the structure and function of the church. Just as each floret on its own is an intricately designed individual structure, the believer is indeed an individual that has his/her own part in the Lord’s will. The ministry of each believer can be related to the type of floret found within the flower head. However, one type of floret cannot cause the whole flower head to be productive; just as one kind of ministry in the church does not lead to a productive church on its own.
To take the analogy further, a ray floret can be related to those ministries that operate to bring outsiders into the church. This is the work of the missionaries and evangelists who faithfully preach the word to those who would not normally darken the doorstep of a church. Their focus is outward – bringing the lost to Christ and into the church. If a daisy was comprised only of showy ray florets, it would look good and attract many pollinators; however, the flower head would have no reproductive potential and at the end of the season there would be no seed. In the same vein, the central florets in the daisy flower can be likened to the ministries in the church that focus on nourishing God’s people within the church itself. These ministries, such as preaching, teaching and shepherding the flock, are the substance of the church which sustain it on a daily basis. If a daisy flower were comprised entirely of central florets it would have the capacity to produce seed, but it would produce very little due to the lack of pollinators visiting it. Lastly, the florets at the very centre of the head that have yet to open are like the young believers in the church who are surrounded by mature believers and are protected by them as they grow. Without these unopened florets the daisy would only be able to produce seed through the mature florets and would reach its limit of production only half way through the flowering season. These young florets appear inactive at first, but without them the daisy would wither half way through the season. Thus, young believers are essential to maintain the vitality of the church throughout the period of its existence.
For the average believer, it is easy to think of these ministries as individuals within the church and that we are simply an audience for these individuals. However, a truly productive daisy is one in which all the central florets produce seed at the end of the season, as the ray florets attract pollinators to do the work – there is no audience within the flower. In the times in which we are living, it would be fatal for the church to have ‘audience’ believers; this is indeed the time for the priesthood of every believer. If you find yourself in a place where God will use you as a ray floret, submit to Him and allow Him to use you to point unbelievers in the right direction – towards the other ministries in the church. If the Lord chooses to use you as a central floret, allow Him to minister to others in the church through you and hence produce seed for Him, without despising those who are used as ray florets. Finally, if you are a young member of the church (irrespective of your physical age), remember that the Lord is preparing you to become a minister of His once you mature spiritually.
As a last thought, never forget that the One who created the daisy in all its perfect detail is also the Bridegroom of the church and will ensure that it grows according to His will. I use the word ‘church’ here in the broadest sense of the word – as each believer is part of the universal church (although the same lesson can be applied to local churches). Thus, regardless of where each believer may find themselves in this world, every one of us is still part of the Lord’s church and He will use us according to His perfect will. Even though the individual believer may not realize it at first, once they allow the Lord to work through them He will create something as special and perfect as the humble daisy.
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