Whatever a man sows, this he will also reap…and let us not become discouraged in doing good, for in due time we shall reap, if we do not grow weary.
Galatians 6:7-9
Sowing and reaping used in these verses give us the picture of planting seeds in the ground and the assurance of a harvest to come. Long ago, a friend gave me the leaf of a plant so I could start my own. She instructed me to put the leaf in water until roots were established, then plant it in a pot and wait for new leaves to appear. She said that the new leaves would start at the roots before they were visible above the soil. After what seemed like a very long time, I became impatient and began digging under the soil to see if any new leaves were being produced. In the process, I broke off the parent leaf and, out of frustration, threw the whole thing in the garbage.
I’ve read these verses in Galatians many times in the past, but I often need to be reminded of the message. In the past, I volunteered at a drug and alcohol recovery program. There were several times when I found myself asking “Why am I doing this?” It is heartbreaking to work with people who have made the decision to make a change in their lives, to recover from their addiction, and then suddenly leave the program and go back to the drugs and alcohol. When I began to question why I was doing this, the answer was always the same. God reminded me that I was there because this is where He wanted me to be.
Whatever God has called us to do, that is what is “good.” And He encourages us not to lose heart in doing good. Don’t give up. Maybe you are a parent struggling with the frustrations that come with being responsible for preschoolers day and night. Or perhaps you have an extremely difficult employer . Maybe your marriage is not going the way you would like it to and you’re tired of trying to make it better. Ask God to show you if you are where He wants you to be. Ask Him for the resources to continue to be faithful and to give you His strength for what He has called you to do.
Jesus tells us, Unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit (John 12:24). He is speaking of our lives. Have you made the commitment to “die” to your own desires and demands and to ask the Lord to give you His new life? That is the only way our lives will ever produce the harvest of eternal fruit.
We may never see all the fruit of the seeds that have been planted in the lives of the people we work with, but God promises there will be fruit. If we are faithful to God in the ministry He has called us to, that is all that matters. In everything we do, we are to do it as unto Him. He is responsible for producing the fruit. If we are “sowing” God’s seeds, we can be assured of a fruitful harvest.
PERSONAL REFLECTION
Where has God called you to “sow?” Is it in your family? Your marriage? Your church? Your neighborhood? Your job? School? Caring for elderly parents?
Consider your attitude toward the place God has called you. Are you serving as unto Him? Are you willing to continue “sowing” even if you are not able to see the “fruit?”
Are you discouraged about where you are right now? Ask God to show you if you are where He wants you to be.
Are you willing to die to your own desires and demands in order to be where God wants you to be? Ask Him to make you willing to be like the grain of wheat that must fall into the ground and die before it can bear fruit.
Remember that we are only responsible to sow faithfully where God has placed us. He is responsible for producing the fruitful harvest.