What are you sowing~Galatians 6.6-10
11/24/2009 11:46:52 PM
Galatians #25 in series


 

“Good Morning, Lord. . . won’t you meet my friends and I for this study of Your Word? 
Make this passage come alive, and grow our love for Scripture.  We are better people when we are in Your Word. . . Thank you, Father, Son, and sweet Holy Spirit.  Amen”
 
Join me in looking at Galatians 6, verses 6 through 10~
6 The one who is taught the Word must share all good things with the one who teaches him. 
7 Do not be deceived; God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, this will he also reap.  8 For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life. 
9 Let us not lose heart in doing good, for in due time we will reap if we do not grow weary.  10 So then, while we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, and especially those who are of the house of faith. New American Standard Bible
 
Okay, so verse 6 makes me grin, because one might think I planted it…. but of course, I didn’t!  Paul makes the point that as the teacher shares the Word, using his spiritual gift for the glory of God and the furtherance of the kingdom, so those who receive the Word should share financially with the teacher of the gospel.  Verse 6 actually fits neatly with the first five verses of chapter 6 where Paul had been talking about sharing one another’s burdens, involving ourselves in one another’s lives; this verse goes along with the discussion about sharing, saying that we are not to forget the one who faithfully feeds us God’s Word . . . indeed, we are to share our resources with that person.
 
Paul moves on to the actions of the individual. You see, folks could easily size up the religiosity or devotion of a law-abiding Jew—keeping kosher, strictly adhering to Sabbath regulations, remaining separate from Gentiles, etc.  But these young believers were now endeavoring to strive for a different kind of holiness, one that flowed from the Spirit who lived inside of them; often, it seemed like neither transgressors or the faithful were getting their due.  So Paul tells them—don’t worry!  Rest assured--God sees it all, and He is just.  Whatever seeds a person sows, that will she also reap.  Our decisions are seed, attitudes are seed, prayers are seed, thoughts are seed, and will reap a harvest.*  So too, criticism is seed, self-love is seed, self-gratification is seed—all sown to the flesh, and leading to corruption.  All of us are sowing seeds. . . all will render some kind of harvest.  Hmmm . . . what kind of seeds are you and I sowing?  What kind of a harvest will we reap?

 “Let us not lose heart in doing good, for in due time we will reap if we do not grow weary.”  Don’t lose heart.  Who do you love who is not returning love to you?  Who are you serving who is unkind to you?  Mom, how long have you endeavored to pass on your faith to your children while Dad endeavors to thwart you at every turn?  Father, how long have you prayed for your twenty-something son to turn his heart back to God?  Wife, how long have you prayed your husband would come to know the true and living God, so you would not be so lonely in your faith?  Do not grow weary. . . do not give up.   Jesus taught us about the value of persistent prayer. (Luke 18)  Keep on knocking. . . And as you are asking, seeking, and knocking, be intentional about maintaining a heart of thanksgiving.  (Matthew 7.7 and Philippians 4.6)  We will reap if we do not grow weary. . . that’s right, because God is our justifier.  He will makes things right.

Finally, I love Paul’s simple admonition, “let us do good to all people.”  We can only do good, or practice goodness if our hearts are good.  Therefore, let’s pursue God, desiring to know Him more; after all, His very nature is good.  Let’s look to Him as the ‘author and finisher of our faith’,** and grow to be more like Jesus.  Let’s reap with intention so that we may harvest goodness and righteousness.

 
Giving good thought to that which we sow,
Christine
 
*Eugene Peterson, Traveling Light
**Hebrews 12.2