Reaping What You Sow

In His Presence: John 12:24-26

An axiom is a governing principle or rule of thumb. Examples of axioms include: birds fly; water is wet; fire is hot; what goes up must come down; and—the one relevant to our study of stewardship—a man reaps what he sows. That axiomatic statement is as real as any of the others, but it’s not believed to the same degree. We reap what we sow in all of life, not just where money is concerned. What we plant determines what we harvest.

A little boy was told by his father to go outside and do some planting in the garden. The boy was lazy and didn’t feel like doing all that work, so he dug one hole, dumped all the seeds in, and covered them up. He went back inside and told his dad the work was done, forgetting that what he planted would reveal itself—and his laziness—in time. He would one day reap what he sowed.

According to our axiom, if there is no sowing of seeds, there can be no expectation of harvest. There are many Christians who want a great harvest from God, but they have sown very few seeds for God. Second Corinthians 9:6 says: “He who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully.” Your harvest depends on what you sow. If you plant potatoes, potatoes will grow. To plant the flesh means you will simply live to gratify yourself. But to plant the Spirit is to live for the glory of God.

One Minute Please

If we make no spiritual investment, we should not expect a spiritual return.

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