Reaping Follows Sowing
Over and over Jesus used agricultural images to explain the kindom of God. Paul uses them some, too. The thing about farming images is that they are so visual, so practical, so useful.
As you think about God’s good fruit growing in your life, listen in to what the Spirit may be saying to you from this text:
Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. Whoever sows to please their flesh, from the flesh will reap destruction; whoever 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 we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. - Galatians 6:7-9
(There are plenty of things to get out of this text, so don’t feel limited to these reflections if the Spirit is leading you in a different direction!)
Three basic things about sowing and reaping are worth noting here, and they speak so deeply to our lives:
We reap what we sow: when you sow healthy choices, you produce healthy results. When you seek to follow the ways of Christ, good things (though not necessarily comfortable ones!) result.
We reap more than we sow: one seed goes into the ground, but a big tomato plant generates dozens of tomatoes. Typically, when we join with Jesus in the renewal of all things, more renewal results than we might expect from our meager efforts.
We reap later than we sow: this is the hard one. You plant in the Spring but don’t harvest till the Fall. There’s always a season of waiting. Notice how Paul points out ‘in the proper time’ in the verses above - that’s because it’s seldom a quick turn around.
Ask the Spirit to guide your prayers about these things now.