Sunday, July 21, 2013

Sow a Good Seed



“Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. (Galatians 6:7)

Every action has results, and every day (whether we realize it or not) we are sowing seeds. In our interaction with our family, friends, co-workers, or people that just happen to cross our paths, we can sow a seed by a gesture, a look, our words, or just a smile. Or…we can be sowing seeds of doubt, negativity, greed, or anger. The phrase “you reap what you sow” is familiar to us all, but how often do we really take the time to consider the meaning of the phrase? And, as the scripture above tells us, we should never deceive ourselves into thinking that we are hiding anything from God by the way we behave; if we are kind and compassionate to others we will reap kindness and compassion. On the other hand, if we are in the habit of sowing bad seeds by judging or mistreating others, then we shouldn’t be surprised when things begin to go wrong in our lives. If we plant to please God, we will harvest joy and everlasting life…what kind of seeds are you planting?

“The one who sows to please his sinful nature, from that nature will reap destruction; the one who sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life. (Galatians 6:8)

We hear a lot of bad stories about people who get away with sowing some really bad things, who escape judgment and consequences for illegal and unethical behavior. However, the manner in which we behave and conduct ourselves comes back to us, and we can rest assured that most of us do reap one way or another in our lifetime, and there will be consequences eventually…if not in this life, then at the judgment. Every day we have an opportunity to go into the field, plant new seeds, and sow to please the Spirit. If we rarely ever sow a good seed we can’t expect to reap blessings and favors, and we certainly can’t expect God to shower us with blessings and show us favor through others if we have done nothing to deserve it. We can never get away from the seeds we plant, and we certainly can't fool God or ourselves, so we better make sure that the seeds we sow are worth growing and reaping!

“Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. (Galatians 6:9)

We must not grow weary in planting that which draws us closer to God; seeds of faith, forgiveness, love, and kindness are essential for our eternal survival. Even if our efforts are not yielding a great deal, or our labors of love attract little or no appreciation from others, the truth is…God wants us to continue doing good, regardless of the results we see. It may be discouraging to do right and receive no words of thanks, but He challenges us to keep on doing good and trust Him for the results. And even when we think our efforts don’t amount to much, God is pleased when we are enthusiastic, obedient and trust Him to give us the heart and strength to keep going. The worst enemy of enthusiasm is weariness; what once was a joy has now become a wearisome burden, but we must battle against the weariness associated to doing good. We can never sow sparingly, give grudgingly, or do anything with the wrong motive. God promises us that what we pour out, will be replenished!
 
 
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11 comments:

  1. A great reminder to be tenders of our gardens Denise. As a friend often says, if you don't like your harvest, check your seeds.

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    1. Love what your friend says Wanda; will remember that quote! Thanks my friend; blessings!

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  2. Very day (whether we realize it or not) we are sowing seeds. Good seed or bad seed, we sow one or the other, so "know what you sow". In the farm areas, folks understand the metaphor better because they see and understand the action and direct outcome of sowing seed. I see our life (godly or ungodly thoughts, words, and deeds before a "watching' world) as our seed and our our dedication, devotion and desires, our trust, obedience and love in charity (living out our faith in holiness and righteousness) as our sowing by walking the talk. I like what you said: "sow to please the Spirit." Unconditional sowing and let the Holy Spirit produce the fruit. Thank you Denise for this thought-provoking post. Blessings sister.

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  3. Thanks Brian; I couldn't agree with you more!(walking the talk!) Blessings for a week of good seeds!

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  4. Dear Denise
    And apart from sowing good seeds, we must make sure that we sow them in the power of the sweet Holy Spirit. I have often misunderstood these verses from Galatians to mean that if we produce love, joy, peace, etc. in our lives, we qualify to live in the power of the Holy Spirit, until I realized my mistake. We can never produce these fruit; only as we abide in Jesus, does He produce these fruit in our hearts!
    Much love XX
    Mia

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    1. With His good grace and all to the glory of Him; amen Mia! :)

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  5. Hi Denise, great encouragement for me today. I've been a bit snoeps in the sowing department. Trying to spare myself hurt when really, its in the giving we are blessed.
    Great post
    God bless my friend
    Tracy

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    1. Hi Tracy; not always easy to spare our feelings sometimes, is it? Thankful for a God who never hurts, only blesses, and gives us the strength to keep going! :)

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  6. A precious post Denise. Thank you for sharing dear friend. Blessings and hugs.

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  7. Hi Denise!! Great post my friend!! It may seem hard at times, but it's so important we don't get weary when we're doing what is good! I love the end of your quote..."you get what you give, so give GOOD". I LOVE that!! Thanks so much for dropping by and linking up today...have a blessed rest of your week my sweet friend!!

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  8. Denise,I like that you extended the concept of sowing seed beyond the financial to the behavioral (judging, being negative or conversely, encouraging and exhorting). I'm a witness that good seed gets a high return on its investment. God waters those seeds! Look out, world!

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