Sowing and Reaping

Over the last few days, I have been studying this biblical concept of sowing and reaping, and have been very challenged (and scared - see last point below) by what I have learned about this principle.  I have never really stopped to think about all the different aspects of this principle, but am glad I did!  As I said before, it's a very challenging principle to live out daily!  Anyways, below are some highlights I have gathered during the study...

You reap WHAT you sow.  Apple seeds produce apples (not oranges).  Corn seeds produce corn (not kiwi-fruits).  Tomato seeds produce what?  Tomatoes, obviously!  At the creation of the world, God said let the grass, herb and tree reproduce ‘according to its kind’ (Gen 1.11).  And so it has been ever since (sorry evolutionists, that's just the way it is)!

So if a person sows evil constantly, then eventually he/she will reap evil back, in the form of consequences, even direct judgment.  Yet, so many people (even Christians) sow in one field but want to reap in another!  They want to sow in the field of worldliness and sin, but they want to reap from the field of righteousness!

Take for example Princess Di and Mother Teresa - remember back in 1997, both ladies passed away in the same week in August?  Remember all the media Lady Di got - front page on every newspaper and magazine for weeks!  And Mother Teresa got perhaps a couple paragraphs in a few newspapers.  The first lady lived a life of often sowing to the flesh and the world.  (Yes, she did a lot for charities, but her personal life was pretty worldly, with her marital affair and divorce).  The second lady lived her life for others, sacrificing all.  She truly sowed love and compassion. 

And see, most people want to live like Princess Di in luxury and style, but die like Mother Teresa in sacrificial giving!  They want to sow to the world and the flesh but reap the blessings of sacrifice, compassion and love.  It don't work that way - your reap what you sow!  The Bible says ‘For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life’ (Gal 6.6-10).

You reap AFTER you sow.  Harvest comes after the plowing and sowing.  You never reap before you sow, do you?!   No, you must plow the field, sow next and then you will reap in time, when the harvest is ready.  Not right away.

The Bible states ‘And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in DUE SEASON we shall reap if we do not lose heart’ (Gal 6.9 - my emphasis). There is an appointed time for harvest.  So when a person sows evil now, they might not reap judgment immediately because God is longsuffering and is waiting for people to repent.  But there is a future time when they will reap what they sow!

Yet, people mistake God’s longsuffering for acceptance.  They think that if God hasn’t done anything yet, then it must be ok; He must accept it!  No, nothing happens immediately because God is longsuffering and patient.  But in due season, when sin is ripe, God will judge and people will reap.

You reap MORE than you sow.  When you plant one apple or corn seed, do you simply reap one apple or one corn cob?  No, normally you reap more!  Likewise, when we sow evilness, in time, we will reap - and more!  The judgment and consequences can often be more than what was sown!

You might say - unfair!  But God is just; He will mete out discipline justly.  Think of it this way - if you sow tiny evils over a lifetime, it adds up.  So don’t be surprised when judgment comes, that it is intense.  It might seem like more than the sin, but actually, sin has been adding up for years.  This is what is implied when Hosea declares ‘They sow the wind and reap the whirlwind’ (Hosea 8.7).  For years Israel sowed sin and evil and soon they will reap the consequences of those years!  They sowed the wind, but soon will reap the whirlwind!

What are we sowing in our lives, marriages and families?  Are we sowing to the flesh or the Spirit?  This principle applies in the positive also - we can sow good things and reap blessings!  Maybe not immediately, but we will reap one day.  And more than we have sown!

So let us sow to the Spirit, let us sow goodness, kindness and compassion.  Let us sow truth, mercy and life!  Let us sow into the lives of our spouses, children, co-workers, neighbors, friends and acquaintances.  Let us not grow weary in doing good, for in due season we will reap the fruit of our faithful labors!