Dear Servants of Christ,

Aside from going to the grocery store or farmers market, if you want a tomato, what do you do? You sow tomato seeds … do a lot of other stuff … and pray. You get a tomato. Want peppers? Plant pepper seeds. You want Romaine lettuce, you plant … you get the idea. You get what you plant. If you plant marigolds, you won’t get watermelons. You reap what you sow!

God tells us the same principle applies to our lives, “God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap.” (Galatians 6:7) The reaping here isn’t of food items or flowers though. The reaping is either “φθοράν (phi-tho-rahn)” – which means, literally, “complete destruction” or “ζωὴν αἰώνιον (zo-een i-own-ee-on)” – literally, “live happily, joyfully, completely forever.” The impact of our sowing is dramatic, and it is eternal (Galatians 6:8). 

Earlier in Galatians, Paul describes “fleshly sowing” and “Spiritual sowing” in pretty clear terms. The works of the flesh are those things that cause “complete destruction” when left unchecked – anger, strife, jealousy, sexual immorality of all kinds, envy, and substance abuse. These things knock down, stomp on, and destroy; blowing those who sow them into smithereens and eternal judgment (Galatians 5:19-21). But, on the other side of the field is the picture Paul paints of the fruits of the Spirit richly harvested when “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, (and) self-control” (Galatians 5:22-23) are sown.

We harvest from what we sow in faith, remembering the One who makes it possible. It’s not our ability and expertise. It is only through Jesus’ work on His cross, crucified for our sins of the flesh that the fruits of the Spirit grow in us so we can receive eternal life (Galatians 6:14).

Bottomline, we don’t plant thorns and expect to reap basketsful of grapes. We will reap what we sow. Let us continually sow seeds from the Spirit, water patiently with God’s nourishing word, and one day, we will receive the harvest of eternal life in His new creation (Galatians 6:9).

                                                                                                        In His Service,

                                                                                                        Pastor Jim