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, over the course of time, we will Reap what we Sow. 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.
Are we Sowing Good Seed (Blessings) or Bad Seed (curses) - If you have lived any amount of life you have a general understanding of how this works. If we Sow good seeds that are life giving, we will generally Reap good fruit, 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, if we Sow seed by investing in and building strong relationships with good solid people then we will have flourishing relationships that multiplied blessings. If we don’t invest in building solid relationships and hang around with the wrong people, we may find ourselves lonely and surrounded by dysfunction and brokenness in a negative cycle that is very hard to break. I think we have all witnessed this to some degree or another in our lives or in the lives of those around us. Whoever walks with the wise becomes wise, but the companion of fools will suffer harm. Proverbs 13:20
Sowing and Reaping in Spirit - This is even more important and pronounced, as noted in my recent “Word of the Week” on being 100x soil. TheLord 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.
Abundant Living = Twofer - 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. “Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share. In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life”. 1 Timothy 6:19
Remember this: Whoever sows spraining will also reap sparingly, and whoever Sows generously will also Reap generously. 2 Corinthians 9:6 S
So let’s Sow generously!!!!!!!!!!
-Duane