Good morning everyone. The mornings are getting cool. My children yesterday wanted to know how many more days before the snow arrives. I think I will buy them all shovels this year. On to Galatians 6.
I think most of us understand this statement:
Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. The one who sows to please his sinful nature, from that nature will reap destruction; the one who sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life. vs. 7-8
Most of us have experienced this law at work, but in a negative way. We enter a day in a bad mood. We are snappy at people. Impolite with others. What we start getting back is negative stuff from the people around us and our day looks more miserable. On the other hand, when we are kind to people we usually get kindness back. When we are generous we usually experience generosity from others. Now apply this spiritually.
If we give in to our sinful nature and live a life of lying, stealing, doing what we want, being sexually deviant we can only expect to receive what God has warned us we would receive. You can't lie to God and you can't hide what you have done. He knows everything so you can't say you are one thing and then in secret be something else. On the other hand, if you live by the Spirit, baring the fruit of the Spirit, living to please God then your reward will also be great. Every day we "seed" or "sow" into people's lives. Are we sowing the things of the Spirit or things from our own sinful nature?
This is when we look at our behaviour and attitude. Do I sow jealousy into the hearts of my co-workers? Do I sow bitterness into the hearts of my children? Am I an unkind person sowing anger into others? We can't spend hours in prayer and worship and then go out and treat people poorly. It is impossible, unless we don't really know Jesus. When we know and have experienced his love then we are changed. In our own nature we could never love other people but, as the David Crowder Band puts it, we can love because we are loved. Paul gives some encouragement in the guise of a warning:
Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. v. 9
You have no idea what your acts of kindness are doing. You have no idea what your sweet nature is provoking in the hearts of others. You have no idea the effect of your persistent gentleness. We cannot see what the fruit of the Spirit is doing in the lives of the people we meet every day. But we have a promise. That promise is that there will be a harvest it we do not give up. Teachers with mean-spirited students need to remember this as they face that classroom every day. Neighbours need to remember this as they deal with other neighbours. Parents sometimes need to be reminded of this as they deal with teenage children. We will reap a harvest from our doing good, if we do not become weary in doing it.
Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers. v. 10
Don't you just love that "especially" part. Sometimes it takes an extra effort to love the saints. It's simply because we figure everyone should know this stuff and we don't understand it when they don't. We need to keep in mind that not everyone knows the Word and not everyone has received this training. Some also only know Jesus by reputation and have never actually met him. We will find a lot of different types of people in the Church. Show your maturity by living a Spirit-filled life amongt the Saints.
Enjoy your day but keep in mind that you will sow what you reap today.
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