You Reap What You Sow!

Looking out the window I saw my husband in the back yard.  Unable to believe my eyes I threw the door open, rushed outside and stood on the patio arms extended to the side in absolute dismay.  Weeks earlier I had decided that I was going to pursue a craft project that involved gourds, but there were none to be found.  A couple of seed packets were purchased and the seeds planted in the back corner of our flower bed next to the fence.  Some time later the vines had covered not only a fair amount of the ground but a portion of the fence, as well.  I was eagerly anticipating the arrival of the blooms which would yield a vast number of gourds.

At that moment I stood looking at my husband with his arms full of my vines.  I threw my arms in the air and said, "What is the world are you doing?"  Grasping the torn, cut and uprooted vines, he said with pride, "This kudzu is taking over the flower bed and the fence, but I took care of it!  We won't be having that problem now!"

My well meaning husband assumed the plant was the pesky, "mile a minute," growing vine which has taken over many areas of the South.   He had no idea the seed I had sown was in fact a gourd.  I sowed a gourd seed and left alone my yield would have been a gourd.  A gourd seed doesn't produce a corn stalk, a watermelon or a tomato, instead it produces the fruit which was planted.

Just as the principle is true in the natural realm, it is also true in the spiritual realm. Scripture is full of examples to back up the words of Paul to the church at Galatia,

"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 how sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life.  Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time will reap a harvest if we do not give up."   Galatians 6:7-9

The Judaizers in Paul's day were an example of a deceived people.  They believed that if they followed their outward rituals and observances that it made them Christians.  The problem was that there was nothing in their hearts because they trusted their works instead of Jesus Christ.

Are we that way?  Do we believe that we can sin and get away with it?  Do we believe that God will not discipline us?  Of course we can look down our perfect church going nose and deny it, but sadly, I know there are times in my life that I have lived this way.  Times when I believed I could fool my parents, my Christian friends, my pastor.  They'd never know.  Well, we may be able to fool all kinds of people, but we will never fool God and His principle is that we reap what we sow.

Our perverse culture tells us that sexual relations outside the confines of marriage and harmless as long as the proper precautions are taken, but there is still a price to pay.  When a a woman has sex with a man, a chemical called oxytocin is released into her system.  This neruo-peptide acts as an agent that bonds her with the person, however studies suggest that if a woman has multiple sexual partners, this will lower her levels of oxytocin which is turn can inhibit her ability to bond to her husband. Thus, it is scientifically proven that sowing a life of sexual immorality can have long term effects on future relationships.

So you say, that doesn't apply to me.  What about theft-do you occasional rob a house? Do you commit a murder here or there?  Of course not, a Christian doesn't act that way.  There is however, something that seems very benign to us but God's principle is still the same-and that is gossip.  As Christians we mask gossip as a 'prayer request' or 'concern' for another or perhaps we are just relaying something that we observed.   Do you engage in idle talk about others or rumor or speculation?  Perhaps you aren't the one doing the talking, but you love to do the listening?  It is still all gossip. You can't sow gossip and reap healthy relationships, the title of 'peace keeper' or have a spirit of love for others that God commanded of us. 

Scripture if full of examples of those who sowed to please their sinful nature and reaped destruction.  David sowed idleness, adultery and murder and reaped the death of his son.  Nebuchadnezzar sowed pride and was stricken with insanity.  Ananias and Sapphira sowed greed and reaped death.  Scripture is also full of those who sowed to please God.  Rahab protected the Israelite spies and professed belief in the true God and was rescued with her family when all others in Jericho perished.  Daniel chose to worship God in a pagan country and was rescued from the jaws of the lion. 

There are often those times that we see others whom seem to be living a lifestyle far away from God and seem to have prosperity, wealth and good health while some who are following Christ seem to struggle and suffer.  This is something we find it difficult to wrap our human minds around.  We must remember that the passage in Galatians tells us not to be deceived. For it is not about whether we see one reaping from the sinful lifestyle he sows but it is the fact that God knows exactly what is being sowed and He is aways true to His Word.  We will reap what we sow... sooner or later.

What are you sowing?  Is it gossip or greed? Is it bitterness or pride?  Is it love and faithfulness?  We must each ask the question, "Am I sowing to please my  sinful nature or to please the Spirit?"  This week let's all be more intentional of that which we sow!