Galatian 6:7-10
7 Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, this he will 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 to those who are of the household of the faith.
Inside of the law of sowing and reaping is a little bundle of miracle: We always reap MORE than we sow.
Old farmers used to say, “You can count the seeds in a watermelon, but you can’t count the watermelons in a seed.”From a tiny, solitary seed comes the potential of fields of fruit and goodness.
Sowing and reaping has a dynamic quality. The return is almost never one to one. In the fascinating book of Hosea in the Old Testament, God confronts Israel about their unfaithfulness and warns them judgment is coming, “For they sow the wind and they reap the whirlwind.” The whirlwind is stronger than the wind. In other words, God is warning them that they are now reaping MORE than they have sown.
This is Paul’s thought: if we reap more than we sow, then let’s take the opportunity to sow as much good as we can! And let’s do as much good as we can. Let’s plant as many seeds of love and servanthood in the household of faith (our brothers and sisters in Christ) because we know: we always reap more than we sow! When we “do good to all people” God’s promise tilts the equation in our favor.
I can assure you that you will need to remember this promise as you live and serve others in life. We are susceptible to discouragement when we don’t see the difference we are making, but take heart! The one who plants the tree will never see all the fruit it produces.
You reap beyond what you can see. The one who plants the tree will never see all the fruit. The tree will continue to live and bear fruit long after the one who planted the seed is gone.
I wonder what it was like in 1954 when a small group of people launched our church. They had no idea of the thousands of lives who would be touched in love and faith in the decades to come. I am certain they thought they were simply planting a little church with a few families on the corner of Airport Rd. and 19th Street.
Many of you have been sowing through the ministry of our church for years, even decades. And while we can see some of the fruit, you could never possibly know all the lives that have been touched and transformed through your faithfulness.
Remember: we always reap more than we sow. Let’s plant all the good we possibly can.
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