In modern language we?d say, ?You harvest what you plant.?
If you plant corn, you will harvest corn. If you plant onions, you will harvest onions.
It?s a law of nature? and like many ?laws,? God has made this one to apply in other realms as well.
The phrase was first spoken by the Apostle Paul? he wrote it in his letter to the Galatians, chapter 6, verse 7?
Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap.
As I grew up, it was used as a cattle prod, to keep us rowdy young children?s churchsters in line.
My young ears heard, ?If you do bad stuff, bad stuff will happen to you.?
Well, isn?t it true?
As far as I can tell, it IS true? but it?s only HALF the point Paul was trying to make.
Read the next few verses?
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. And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up
You reap what you sow? in both directions?
So it is true that bad actions lead to bad results, but Paul is also seeking to motivate right action? He calls it sowing ?to the Spirit.?
That means that good actions, done in the will and power of the Holy Spirit, produce good results?
That goes for life in general ? areas like your work, your recreation, your friendship, and your family.
All of those and a hundred others are contexts where you will reap what you sow.
Consider the ?positive? side of what Paul is saying?
- If you plant diligence, you will reap fruit that corresponds to that hard work.
- If you plant seeds of encouragement, your harvest will be of a similar nature.
- If you plant faithfulness, joy, hope, and love? the outcome could be beyond what you can imagine.
How does the principle of sowing and reaping apply to?
Your marriage?
- Are you investing quality time in your relationship with your spouse? If not, what do you suppose you?re going to reap?
- Do you have and express a faithful commitment to your partner? If not, what kind of harvest is going to come of it?
- Can you think of healthy, positive, godly things you can begin planting into your relationship? What sort of harvest has God promised will come of it if you do?
Your parenting?
- What kind of words are you planting in the lives of your children? Encouragement? Pessimism? Hopefulness? Criticism? What are the harvests that correspond to what you?re planting?
- How are you equipping your children to live in the world? What kind of example are you setting? Those are ways that you are planting ?seeds? in their lives. What type of harvest will come of it?
- Are you carrying out the command of Deuteronomy 6: 4-5 in the lives of your children? What are the outcomes you should expect as a result?
The atmosphere of your home?
- Is your home a place of peace or a place of strife? Both are sowing seeds in your household. Take time to consider what?s going to come of each.
- Is your home characterized by faith in God or worry about circumstances? What sort of harvest is reaped from each?
Do you see how important this principle of sowing and reaping can be?
What are you going to DO, in the power of the Spirit, to make a change?
Notice that I asked what you?re going to do ?in the power of the Spirit.?
You can?t do this on your own.
God doesn?t want you to reform yourself. He wants to transform you through His Spirit.
CALL TO ACTION:
- Identify areas where you need to begin planting seeds (encouragement, faith, godly conversation, etc.)
- Prayerfully seek God?s help in planning a way to begin planting.
- Step out in faith (believing that God will empower you), and start planting.
You?ll be amazed what obedient actions, accompanied by faith can do.
Leave a testimony of what God has done through you as you?ve stepped out in faith to plant positive seeds in your home!
About Carey Green
radical follower of Christ, husband, dad, writer, blogger, podcaster, marriage & family coach, counselor, speaker, retiring Pastor, and all around good guy (because of Christ). Connect with Carey on Google+
Source: http://www.christianhomeandfamily.com/you-reap-what-you-sow-in-life-and-in-the-family/
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