Tag: sowing

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Galatians

Biblical principles: The seeds we sow

Sowing seeds

I would have never made a good farmer. I remember as a kid trying to plant a seed. I can’t remember if it was from an orange or an apple, but either way, I wanted it to grow right then and there. And when it didn’t, I swiftly dug it up.

Farmers need patience, and I was in short supply of it.

In this life, we all sow seeds. Unlike my childhood sowing experience, however, there’s no way to dig up those seeds. And ultimately, we will reap what we sow. Paul writes,

Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows.

The one who sows to please his sinful nature, from that nature will reap destruction; the one who sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life. (Galatians 6:7-8)

There were probably some in the Galatian church and in other churches for that matter that tried to twist the teaching of Paul.

Because Paul taught salvation by grace alone through faith, they said, “Well, Paul must mean then that we can live however we like. We can just sin and trust that Jesus will forgive us anyway.”

But Paul says, “God is not some naive fool to be underestimated or trifled with. He knows your heart and he knows all you do.

And if you claim to believe in Christ and yet all your life you are merely living to please yourself, he will see right through your claims of faith and see you for who you really are.

So even if you somehow avoid the results of your sinful actions here on earth (and I wouldn’t count on that), you will reap destruction when you face God on judgment day.

If on the other hand, you truly love God and live to please the Spirit, you will ultimately reap eternal life.”

He then exhorts us,

Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. (Galatians 6:9)

It can be disheartening to serve God at times because we don’t always see the results right away. We are a fast food society, expecting things on our plate instantaneously. But seeds take time to grow. They don’t grow in a day.

And the same is true of the seeds we plant in living to please the Spirit. Sometimes we don’t see the results right away. There are some seeds whose fruit we will never see in our lifetimes.

But Paul assures us, “They will grow. So don’t give up. Don’t faint from exhaustion and despair. You will reap the rewards of what you sow, and most importantly, you will reap eternal life.”

What does this mean for us practically? Paul says,

Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers. (Galatians 6:10)

One important way to please the Spirit and show our love for him is to bless those he has put around us. God has called us to be a blessing, to our family, our friends, our coworkers, and especially to our fellow Christians.

And if we focus on that, in the end, God will make sure we reap the benefits of it.

What seeds are you sowing?

Categories
2 Corinthians

Principles of giving

2 Corinthians

Here in this passage, we see two key principles of giving.

Paul says,

Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. (2 Corinthians 9:6)

This is true in all aspects of life. If, for example, you sow sparingly into your marriage, you will also reap sparingly.

That is, if you put little time or effort into your marriage, you will reap little benefit from it. In fact, your marriage will most likely wither and die.

If on the other hand, you sow generously into your marriage, you will reap great blessing from it.

The same can be said of raising your kids. If you sow sparingly in the lives of your kids, you will find that when they grow up, they’ll want little to do with you.

But if you sow generously into their lives, you will find that you have a great relationship with them after they have grown up.

But the key point here is with giving of your money.

A lot of people think, “Well, tithing isn’t for the New Testament church, so why should I give anything to the church.”

But if we sow sparingly into the church, what does that mean?

It probably means your pastor will have to take other jobs to support himself and his family leaving less time for ministering to the church.

It means your church will have less resources to touch your community. And it means that your church has less resources to minister to you and your family.

If you sow generously into your church, however, you will find that your church can be a great blessing to you, your family, and your community.

So if you’re complaining that your pastor or your church isn’t doing enough, a big question you need to ask yourself is this: am I sowing generously into the church so that they can do more?

Paul then goes on to say,

Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. (2 Corinthians 9:7)

Our giving should never be done with an attitude of, “Well, I guess I have to give.”

It should never be done with the pain of pulling teeth or with the feeling of a gun pointed at your head.

It should be done with a heart of joy and generosity.

It should be done with a heart of, “I just wanted to thank you God for all you’ve done for me. You have given me an indescribable gift in your Son. Now I want to give something back to you.”

And when we give with that attitude, that is acceptable to God, whether we give a large amount or small.

The poor widow in Luke 21:1-3, had very little to give. But because she gave from her heart, Jesus was more pleased with her gift than with any of the large gifts that the richer folks had given.

So how about you? With what kind of attitude are you giving? And are you sowing generously, or sparingly?

Categories
John John 4

Breaking down the barriers

John

The disciples’ reaction to Jesus’ conversation with the Samaritan woman is very interesting. John writes,

Just then his disciples returned and were surprised to find him talking with a woman.

But no one asked, “What do you want?” or “Why are you talking with her?” (John 4:27)

Now what does this mean exactly? Does it mean that they had become so used to Jesus’ ways that they accepted this as natural, though no other Rabbi would be caught dead talking to a Samaritan woman, especially in public?

Or does it mean that they wanted to ask these questions, but didn’t dare?

I tend to think it was the latter.

Remember the situation. Jews tended to see Samaritans as half-breeds who had perverted the Jewish faith by mixing it with other religions. As a result, they wanted nothing to do with them.

But as the Samaritans came up from the town to see Jesus, he told his disciples,

I tell you, open your eyes and look at the fields! They are ripe for harvest. (John 4:35)

In other words, “These are not dirty, filthy, outcasts. Sinners beyond any hope of repentance. These are people that God loves.

He has been working in their hearts in ways that you don’t know. Others have been sowing seeds in their heart, and you now have the privilege to reap the harvest.”

And that day, many Samaritans came to believe in Jesus.

Jesus smashed the cultural and religious barriers people had set up to reach a people that were lost. And he calls us to do the same.

How about you? How do you see the people around you?

I look at how many Christians treat gays, for example, and it seems they view gays the same way that Jews viewed Samaritans.

Many in the church almost seem to view them as the enemy. But whatever else they may be, they are not our enemies. They are people like us, in need of a Savior.

Or how many people do you know personally that you fail to share Christ with for other reasons?

Because of their religious beliefs or lack thereof. Or because of their character or personality. Or because you simply don’t like them.

Jesus says to us, “Don’t look at them as people beyond any hope of repentance. And most certainly, don’t look at them as people worthy of contempt.

Look at them as a field that needs sowing, and harvesting. Look at them as people who need me.”

You may be the sower. You may be the reaper.

But let us break down the barriers of culture and religion, and let us break down the barriers we have set up in our own hearts and reach a lost world for Christ.