Reaping

Let me start out with a story about a boy who took care of sheep, who when he was bored cried wolf and when people would come to help him there was no wolf to be seen.  As time went on this boy just kept this up until one day the sheep seemed to be very restless and it seemed like something was wrong so he climbed up into a tree where he could get a better look and sure enough there was a big hairy wolf biting at the heels of the sheep but when he cried wolf no one came, thinking he was just kidding again.  But that time there was a wolf and he had no help and many of the sheep died because of him.  In the end you might say that the joke was on him, lying is not a good practice to be in and he suffered the consequences or he reaped what he sowed, although it was a tragic ending.  This story is a fable, but it teaches some good lessons and one of them is this; we will reap what we sow.

If we are in the habit of lying, people will ignore us and not believe us when we are telling the truth.  Then we might think, why doesn’t anyone want to hang around with us anymore?  Then we can start to have a pity party, blaming everyone else, when it is our fault because we are reaping what we sowed!  This same thing can happen in many areas of our lives, the sad thing is we many times blame it on the devil and it has nothing to do with him, like I said we are just reaping what we sowed.  Before I get too far into this I want to say that I am just as guilty of this as anyone, so I am speaking to me also as I type this or any of my blogs.

There are so many things that we can get caught up in like envy, slander, negative-ness, gossip, pride and arrogance, jealousy and more.  We can take on a pious attitude and look down on others thinking we are so much better than they are.  It is so easy to judge other’s sins and neglect ours because we are judging ourselves by other people and not by the Lord’s standards.  I believe there are many people in the church that are in these kinds of sin and many may not even realize it.

Read what Paul said in the Word of God about reaping and sowing in Galatians 6:1-10, “Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted. Bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ. For if a man think himself to be something, when he is nothing, he deceiveth himself. But let every man prove his own work, and then shall he have rejoicing in himself alone, and not in another. For every man shall bear his own burden. Let him that is taught in the word communicate unto him that teacheth in all good things. Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting. And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not. As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith.”

We all need each other in the body of Christ and instead of looking at the faults of others; we should be setting an example for others to follow.  We should always try to build up others in the faith and keep watch so we won’t fall into temptation.  We need to bear one another’s burdens by praying for them and helping them if we can and show our love by our actions and not just words.  If you do a good work, don’t compare yourself to anyone else just feel good about yourself and praise the Lord.  It is easy to point out other’s sins and failures but don’t do that, just look at Jesus.  None of us are perfect and we will all have to stand before the Lord someday and He will take care of the judging, we don’t have to nor should we.  

It seems much easier for me to type these things than it is to live them but you and I have to strive for perfection regardless, can you say amen?  Praise the Lord!!  So let’s not kid ourselves, what we sow, that we will reap.  If we sow to the flesh we will reap corruption but if we sow to the Spirit we will reap everlasting life.  Let us not grow weary in doing good and in due season we will reap, if we faint not.  So let us do good to all men especially those who are in the household of faith!!  Something to think about and I hope you have a super day and may the good Lord bless you and yours!!