Growing up and living in the Midwest, you are surrounded by agriculture. Whether it was livestock production or row-crop farming, it seemed to be everywhere. Almost everyone had ties to it somehow. In these industries, you learn the value of hard work, patience, and humility. In farming, you prepare your field, you plant the crop, you tend the field, and have faith that the crop will grow to be harvested. Farmers know that they must put in the work to yield a crop. Whether or not the crop is good or bad, depends on the work put into the field and the moisture the crop receives. Farmers who don't prepare the field can't expect to raise the best crop. Likewise, the farmer who diligently prepares the field has a better shot at raising a good crop. I am aware there are elements in farming that are out of the farmers control, such as the weather. Whether or not it rains or if it hails. Although, think about the faith a farmer has: to prepare the field, to plant the seed, and to nurture the field as the seed grows all in the hope that a rain will come.
There is a quote I saw in the movie Facing the Giants that has stuck with me: "I heard of a story of two farmers praying to God for rain to come. Both prayed but only one prepared the land. Who do you think trusted God more to send the rain? God will send the rain when He’s ready. You need to prepare your field to receive it.” I love the question posed in the quote - who trusted God more? A farmer who truly trusted in the Lord to bring rain would diligently prepare the field, plant the seed, nurture the seed, and protect the seed from pests and weeds. You can't expect a harvest if you never plant the seed. It is an example of reaping what you sow. I'm sure we all have heard our parents or grandparents tell us this. Reaping what you sow is a metaphor that is found in the Bible. Sowing is your actions. Reaping is the result or consequence of those actions.
Paul talked about reaping what you sow in Galatians 6:6-10. "Let the one who is taught the word share all good things with the one who teaches. Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap. For the one who sows to his own flesh will from flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life. And let us no grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up. So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith."
Paul used this analogy to explain to the Galatians that if they walk in the flesh - aka sinful ways - then they can't expect to reap God's joy, peace, and love. God is not in sin. Sowing sin reaps destruction. If you walk by the Spirit, then you can expect to experience God's joy, peace, and love. As believers, sowing means to walk according to the Word of God and being obedient to Him. It is important to note that this doesn't mean people who walk by the Spirit have an easy life. Life will be hard. Jesus said in John 16:33, "I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.” Jesus is telling his disciples that they will have trouble in this world - a relationship with Jesus doesn't promise a life of ease. In the world, we will experience hardship and persecution. Jesus did promise that in Him you may have peace. In Jesus, we will experience an overwhelming peace, love, and joy. Why do we have this peace in Him? It is because Jesus overcame the world. This is the essence of our hope as believers.
So, how do we sow in the Spirit? To sow in the Spirit is to walk in the Spirit. These are some examples to walk in the Spirit:
Studying and mediating on the Word of God (Psalm 1:2)
Spending time with God through prayer (Ephesians 6:18)
Surrounding yourself with godly community through church and close friends (Proverbs 27:17)
Removing sin that continually tempts you (James 1:14-15)
So, like good farmers, we should prep our fields, plant the seed, nurture the field, protect our fields from weeds and pests, and trust God will bring the rain. In other words, we should stay in the Word, spend time with God, continually spend time with godly community often, and don't let sin take a foothold in your life. Paul ends that portion of the letter by saying, "And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up. So, then we have an opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are in the household of faith." Paul is encouraging the believers of Galatia to not give up hope, to continue on in the faith. Our reward is not here on earth but in heaven - where we get to spend an eternity with our Savior. We have an opportunity to do good to everyone and treat others the way Jesus demonstrated in His life here on earth - with love, compassion, mercy, but never without the truth. Jesus is our best example of how to walk with the Spirit throughout our lives.
Jesus gave his disciples and us a warning in Mark 13:32-37, "But concerning that day or that hour, no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. Be on guard, keep awake. For you do not know when the time will come. It is like a man going on a journey, when he leaves home and puts his servants in charge, each with his work, and commands the doorkeeper to stay awake. Therefore, stay awake - for you do not know when the master of the house will come, in the evening, or at midnight, or when the rooster crows, or in the morning - lest he come suddenly and find you asleep. And what I say to you I say to all: Stay Awake." Taking this back to the farming analogy Paul used, we don't want to be the farmer that did nothing to prepare the field or even plant the seed when God sends the rain. It that case, the farmer will not harvest the crop and will be left regretting that he should have been more prepared. In our case, don't give way to old sins that once had a foothold on your life. Don't think that you have plenty of time to give your life to Jesus and you just want to have 'fun' now. Jesus gives us a sober warning: Stay Awake. So, leave those sins upon the cross to die and keep your mind full of Christ. Prepare your field, plant the seed, protect the crop from weeds and pest, and trust that God will bring the promised rain.
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