... Galatians 6:7-9 ...
It is foolish to think that if you were to plant orange trees, you would harvest corn! It is ridiculous to even consider, right? Nature bears witness that what a person sows is what will be reaped. For some reason, it seems to be an obvious and ridiculous metaphor when talking about fruits or vegetables, but we forget the truth that it entails when we begin to talk about our walk as Christ-followers.
As ridiculous as it would be to think of a grape vine producing cantaloupe, it is just as absurd to think that a Christ follower would produce envy, bitterness, anger, jealousy, or the other similar outcomes (Galatians 5:19-21). If the Spirit of Christ is in you, the resulting fruit will be “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control” (Galatians 5:22-23). If you discipline yourself spiritually, you will grow spiritually and experience the fruit that the Spirit freely gives. This kind of living will make us more attractive to those who don’t yet know Christ. The legacy of such a life will be seen in the influence one has in the lives of others.
One way to sow in the Spirit is to be doing good deeds (v. 9). As we live missional lives, doing practical deeds of kindness for the purpose of ultimately sharing the gospel, we can grow weary. But we must never give up. The Lord has promised us that if we keep sowing gospel seeds, we will reap a harvest of souls for Jesus.
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Dear God, You are the Author of the law of the harvest. We reap what we sow, more than we sow, and later than we sow. I confess, God, that I often sow seeds to satisfy my flesh. Thank You for Your grace that covers those sins. Please continue to root out that sin in my life so I can be more fully used by You. Help me sow seeds of practical deeds of kindness in order to win others. May I be part of reaping a harvest of souls for You.
It is foolish to think that if you were to plant orange trees, you would harvest corn! It is ridiculous to even consider, right? Nature bears witness that what a person sows is what will be reaped. For some reason, it seems to be an obvious and ridiculous metaphor when talking about fruits or vegetables, but we forget the truth that it entails when we begin to talk about our walk as Christ-followers.
As ridiculous as it would be to think of a grape vine producing cantaloupe, it is just as absurd to think that a Christ follower would produce envy, bitterness, anger, jealousy, or the other similar outcomes (Galatians 5:19-21). If the Spirit of Christ is in you, the resulting fruit will be “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control” (Galatians 5:22-23). If you discipline yourself spiritually, you will grow spiritually and experience the fruit that the Spirit freely gives. This kind of living will make us more attractive to those who don’t yet know Christ. The legacy of such a life will be seen in the influence one has in the lives of others.
One way to sow in the Spirit is to be doing good deeds (v. 9). As we live missional lives, doing practical deeds of kindness for the purpose of ultimately sharing the gospel, we can grow weary. But we must never give up. The Lord has promised us that if we keep sowing gospel seeds, we will reap a harvest of souls for Jesus.
***
- How are you tempted to sow in the flesh? How does sowing in the flesh impact your witness negatively?
- When and how have you grown weary in doing good, in doing practical deeds of kindness in order to share the gospel?
- What specific missional good deed might the Spirit be prompting you to do so that you can experience the joy of reaping?
Dear God, You are the Author of the law of the harvest. We reap what we sow, more than we sow, and later than we sow. I confess, God, that I often sow seeds to satisfy my flesh. Thank You for Your grace that covers those sins. Please continue to root out that sin in my life so I can be more fully used by You. Help me sow seeds of practical deeds of kindness in order to win others. May I be part of reaping a harvest of souls for You.
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