Word of the Week - Sowing and Reaping

Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap. For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life.  Galatians 6:7-8

The principal of Sowing and Reaping is one of key truths of life both on earth from a practical sense and in heaven from a spiritual sense.  Whether we like it or not, we will Reap what we Sow over the course of time.  Just like many of God’s principals within His economy, this is a wonderful truth that can really be a blessing if we understand it and align our lives accordingly.From a more practical perspective, if you have lived any amount of life you have a general understanding of how this works.  If we Sow good seeds of life, we will generally Reap good seeds, like for like.  Of course life is not perfect and there are times when we may be Sowing good seed into bad soil or Sowing during seasons of drought that prevent the seed from sprouting and taking root.  We cannot control the outcome but we surely can resolve to continually Sowing good seeds and look for good soil to Sow into.  This is the opportunity we have each day, and over time, the sum of our Sowing is what results in the fruit of our lives.  On the contrary, if we Sow bad seed then we can expect Reap the same.  For example, good healthy life disciplines such as eating well, exercising regularly, getting good sleep/rest and building healthy relationships generally will result in a healthy person with flourishing relationships, whereas lack of discipline such as poor eating, neglecting health, bad habits such as excessive drinking or use of drugs and neglecting or mistreating family and others will lead to destruction, brokenness and ultimately death.   I think we have all witnessed this to some degree or another in our lives or in the lives of those around us.From a spiritual perspective this is even more important and pronounced.  The Lord makes it very clear that when we Sow seeds into His Kingdom through praying, worshipping, giving, serving, loving and sharing the Gospel with others with pure motives, then we can expect to Reap a harvest in heaven.  Moreover, God’s is so awesome that He multiplies the harvest and allows us to Reap in abundance.  In the parable of the Sower in the Gospel of Mark he talks about how the seed was sown into good ground produced and abundant crop “Still other seed fell on good soil.  It came up, grew and produced a crop, some multiplying thirty, some sixty and some a hundred times” Mark 4:8.Finally, it is important to note that these things are not mutually exclusive.  I think some believe that we can only Sow one dimensionally in life.  We are either Sowing into our vocations/jobs or into our faith through religious church activities.  One of the most exciting truths I ever discovered was the fact that God desires for us to integrate all of these things together.  We have the opportunity every day to get a twofer.  For example we can serve people in our vocations whether it be customers or employees both practically and spiritually.  We don’t have to separate the two, we can Sow seeds of life by practically serving them with excellence while at the same time building a personal relationship that would allow us to minister to them as they navigate the challenges of life.  This is the Gospel.Let’s resolve to Sow some great seeds this week and look for fertile ground for Sowing into.Blessings,-Duane