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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