Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. -Galatians 6:7
If a thing is free to be good it is also free to be bad…. Why, then, did God give [humans] free will? Because free will, though it makes evil possible, is also the only thing that makes possible any love or goodness or joy worth having. -C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity
Seeds are small, but powerful, things. They contain so much potential for future growth and seasons of plenty…or desolate seasons of destruction and pain.
Take the mustard seed, one of the smallest in the Middle East: tiny and unassuming. But as Jesus puts it, even with faith the size of a mustard seed, one could move mountains (Luke 17:6). The power of that gift from God is the beginning of an outgrowth of His influence in a believer’s life, but also in the lives of those with whom the believer comes into contact. And resulting from that, impossibilities become possibilities. From that tiny seed comes exponential growth, begetting more growth.
One could also sow sinful seeds of negativity, fear, doubt, self-pity, and self-hatred. And sowing such self-fulfilling prophecies can reap more of the same. Ever notice how negative people seem to go from one disappointment to another? There is also the sinful seed of selfish pursuits. The fruit from this may blossom quickly, but leaves a bad aftertaste, and spoils just as quickly.
Planting God-fearing seeds can take work. They may not make you popular for choosing to plant them. But they are well worth the time and stewardship to nurture and grow.
Some great guidelines for living the Christian life are Dr. Charles Stanley’s 30 Life Principles, and the sixth one says: You reap what you sow, more than you sow, and later than you sow.
Here’s an excerpt from it:
To mock God is to turn up one’s nose at Him, to hope to outwit Him—a foolish thought, as 2 Corinthians 5:10 reveals: “We must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may be recompensed for his deeds in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad.”
If you were required to appear before the judgment seat of Christ in the next five minutes, what kind of crops would you have to show?
Read the whole Life Principle »
Do you want to sow long-term seeds deep in the rich soil of His joy and righteousness? Seeds that honor and glorify the Lord, or ones in shallow, worldly soil that serve you in the short term?
The best, most fruitful crops take time and discipline to grow. Make sure your seeds are rooted in His soil, and you will reap His plenty.
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