"What goes around comes around."
~ cliché
Sowing and Reaping
Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap.
~ Galatians 6:7 (NKJV)
"Give, and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your bosom. For with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you."
~ Luke 6:38 (NKJV)
Call it a cliché. Call it karma. Call it poetic justice.
The fact is, God's Word does say that we reap what we've sown.
This does not mean that bad things won't happen to good people. It doesn't mean that wicked people will never prosper. It is simply a principle of God as certain as gravity, which He will bring to pass in due time.
What are you struggling with right now? Anger? Bitterness? Impatience? You do well to give in quickly to the righteousness the Holy Spirit is trying to accomplish in you. The longer we persist in unpleasant behavior, the more likely we are to see it crop up in our own lives from others.
What would you like to reap right now? Attentiveness? Forgiveness? Love? Try to sow seeds of that gift in the lives of others, and wait for the Lord to return it to you. The more generously you sow, the more generously you will reap.
Jesus said so.
Oh, Lord—I'm greedy for blessing! I want to reap it abundantly. It's not that You haven't been generous. It's because You have been so generous that I long for more of Your favor! Please let us see what we're sowing, be it good or bad. Please work in our hearts wherever You know we're struggling to sow good.
Contrasting points-of-view, questions and feedback are invited. Post to BuildingHisBody.com "Comments" or e-mail to BuildingHisBody@gmail.com. Copyright 2009, Anne Lang Bundy, all rights reserved.
Today I'll focus on sowing love in the form of patience.
ReplyDeleteIt is easy to get caught up in negative feedback loops with others when we focus on our own wants.
A client said recently, "I got everything I wanted, but never what I needed." I'm going to spend sometime today meditating on that in the context of sowing and reaping...
Thanks Anne
I need to focus on saying Thank You more than Please these days.
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for this powerful message!
xox
*~Michelle~*
Oh Anne, this is so true and has shown up in our lives time and time again. God loves to surprise us with His provision, which should never come as a surprise b/c of the verses you posted. We will randomly decide to give a certain amount to someone in need and within weeks that money will find a way back to us. This has happened over five times in our marriage.
ReplyDeleteGod blows me away with GOODNESS.
~ Wendy
Anne,
ReplyDelete"Please let us see what we're sowing"
This is a great prayer
To see what we are sowing enables us to look expectantly toward harvest or change what we're sowing
You my friend are sowing good seeds. I pray we are good soil.
Thank you
Thank you for the inspiring post, Anne. Just last night I was talking to God about this exact thing. I was getting a not so good look at the seeds I was sowing, and their consequences. Now I am focusing on sowing the right seeds, not only for blessings for myself, but for others as well.
ReplyDeleteThis is a timely post. Though I know justice doesn't always happen in this life, it is comforting--and sobering-- to remember that many times, mistreatment of others does bring its own consequences. "Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall." :-)
ReplyDeleteTime to sow some good things. Thanx for the reminder Anne.
ReplyDeleteRussell, I love what you did with this. "...sowing love in the form of patience. Yes! Some seeds bear more than what's sown. I hadn't thought of that. Thanks for bringing that out.
ReplyDeleteMichelle, I've heard somewhere that if the only prayer we ever said was "Thank You" it would be enough.
Wendy, I've also seen dollar figures bear the remarkable hand of God. He is too amazing!
Doug, I likewise hope my heart proves good soil for the uplifting words you sow.
Ralene, if only we could see EVERYthing we do through God's eyes. *sigh*
Rosslyn, the consequences can be SO far-reaching. If we can but remain sober!
T. Anne, thanx for being here. I do like what you sow. (And I prayed your luggage would show up by the 3rd day ... you'll have to let me know what God's answer was.)
I join you in this prayer my dear friend.
ReplyDeleteGreat post! I have seen this principle played out in my life over and over. It's both humbling and encouraging when I hit a season of struggle to know where it came from (my own sowing!) to help me make better choices in the future. Praying His sweet and abundant blessings upon you, your family and your ministry. With JOY, Amy
ReplyDelete