For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life. And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all, especially to those who are of the household of faith. Galatians 6:8-10
Then Peter said to Him, “Lord, do You speak this parable only to us, or to all people?” And the Lord said, “Who then is that faithful and wise steward, whom his master will make ruler over his household, to give them their portion of food in due season? Blessed is that servant whom his master will find so doing when he comes. Luke 12:41-43
Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect. “Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his master made ruler over his household, to give them food in due season? Blessed is that servant whom his master, when he comes, will find so doing. Matthew 24:44-46
Sow for yourselves righteousness; reap in mercy; beak up your fallow ground, for it is time to seek the LORD, till He comes and rains righteousness on you. Hosea 10:11Who cares what their neighbor is doing? No really, who cares? I am thinking today about how pointless our existence is, or would be, without Christ. I look around me and see what my neighbors are about; some are about our Father’s business and others are in everyone else’s business. But what is that to me? What is it to you if your neighbor dies in his sin?
I ask you, if your neighbors die not knowing Christ exists and you never told them about Him, then is it your fault? You lived in that neighborhood knowing the truth and did not tell them. I am not telling you this today to make you feel condemned. There is, after all, no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus. Sometimes we tell someone about Jesus but it does not seem to do anything to the person. They shrug it off and go away, or so it seems.
When God was pursuing me, or rather, I was running from Him, He sent many to me to witness. One person I recall was a teenager who was taking part in a common practice of many churches called “mall invasion”. He walked up to me and my friend and started telling us about Christ Jesus. He was talking so fast I was walking backwards to get away. My friend shared a few choice sentences with them about how they were talking to the wrong two gals. At this point in my life I figured all Christians I had met were snobs who cheated and then asked a priest for forgiveness so they could go out and sin again. I did not know what God was about, let alone who He is. So my witness guy talked me literally into a wall before I agreed with my friend, sort of, and asked him to leave me alone.
A little later that weekend I was working a closing shift and the missionary that was with the youth group the other day came by with some tracts that had comic stories telling about God and who He was. My co-workers were amused by them but they read them, then left them on the counter. I was secretly searching for God at that point in my life, so I grabbed them all and stuffed them in my purse as soon as I could. Later I would open them and read everything they said.
Much later in that same year I did give my life to Christ. I won’t write my whole story here now, but suffice it to say that my ears were listening even though my mouth said otherwise. The seeds that people were planting in me were waiting for the perfect time to grow. In due season, I accepted Christ as my Lord and Savior and have since followed His example as much as I can. But what would have happened if the person would have shaken his head and walked away, not leaving the tracts to encourage my curiosity, but instead looked to my friend’s response as a reason to give up. Or they could have pushed too far and caused me to think I wanted nothing to do with this Jesus they talked about.
When we are working on a project for the Lord, whether planting a garden or leading a class, we have to remember that the seed hides in the ground germinating for a certain time. When the seed is ready it will sprout and grow. Just like the seeds in my garden know when the time is right, the spiritual seeds will also sprout when the time is right. But we have to plant them to see them grow. Then we water them and weed them and help them to get the right nutrients without force feeding them. If we overwater our seeds they will mold and not grow anything but fungus. It is important to wait for the seed and not try to force it into growth. If I plant in winter they will not grow because the frost will kill the seed. If I plant late in summer they will dry up and often burn in the heat. But if I plant it in the springtime all will be well weather-wise and they should grow in the right time. We need to plant in planting season and reap in the fall when it’s grown to fruition.
Whatever we sow we will reap. I want to reap for Jesus to get more people for His kingdom, and to help others and myself to grow stronger and closer to Him. Sow in mercy, reap in kindness.
Dear Heavenly Father, help us to plant the seeds of faith in our neighbor’s hearts with words of love, hope and peace. Then let us leave it to you to cultivate and cause them to grow in due season. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Suggested reading: Psalm 104:1-35; Proverbs 15:1-33; Genesis 8:20-22; Mark 4:1-41; 2 Corinthians 9:1-15.