GALATIANS 6:7-9: “Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. 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.” NKJV
OBSERVATION: What does the fruit in my life tell me about the seed I am sowing? In our modern-day, we have lost a very important personal discipline. This is the discipline of personal introspection. Our current culture encourages us to always look outward for the source of our problems. The reality is that our problems and issues are really a result of the seed we are sowing.
The law of sowing and reaping cannot be controverted. It is true in the natural realm and it is true in the spiritual realm. If I buy a pack of apple tree seeds, plant them in the ground and water them, it will yield an apple tree. Apple seeds do not produce tomatoes or oranges, they produce apples. Why do we think it is any different in our spiritual lives?
Paul uses bold language in speaking of this truth. He says – “God is not mocked!” The world may tell you that you can wander from the Lord and live your life without a thought for your actions. However, if you sow to the wind you will reap the whirlwind. You cannot sow seeds of disobedience and expect to reap a crop of righteousness. It just doesn’t work!
So how do we take a personal spiritual inventory? First, we must be brutally honest with ourselves. We need to look deep within and honestly evaluate the fruit of our personal lives. Galatians gives us a fruit examining chart to use in the process.
The fruit of sowing seeds to the flesh (our sinful nature, apart from God):
- “Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.” Galatians 5:19-21 NKJV
The fruit of sowing seeds to the Spirit (walking in relationship with Jesus Christ as we live and walk after the Spirit):
- “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.” Galatians 5:22-25 NKJV
Now, this is where brutal honesty is needed. We may read the list of sowing seeds to the flesh and think – “I am not that bad!” Yet, when we read the list of sowing seeds to the Spirit we must ask – “Is my life really marked by these qualities?” Am I growing in love? Am I experiencing true joy? Is my life marked by peace? Am I patient, kind, always seeking the good in life, and in others? Are my actions marked by faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control? Am I experiencing victory over the temptations of life?
An honest evaluation of our fruit will tell us more about our current spiritual condition than anything else. This self-evaluation is not done to condemn us. It is done to help us know if we are sowing the right seed. No one walks in the fruit of the Spirit perfectly. However, if we are sowing to the Spirit we will begin to see growing evidence of the Spirit’s fruit in our life. The old patterns of life will begin to lose their grip, and the very nature of Jesus Christ will begin to be cultivated in our hearts and lives.
As we sow seeds to the Spirit, we must not be discouraged if the crop seems to be slow in manifesting itself in our life. We cannot rush the growth of the seed. We only have the true assurance, of the fruit that it will produce, and the final harvest!
- “…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.”
The final harvest is everlasting life. The fruit is the character of Jesus Christ. As we sow, we must not grow weary. If we sow in faith, we will reap in joy – if we do not lose heart. God is watching over the seed that we sow. He will not be mocked. As we sow to the Spirit, as we invest in the Kingdom of God, as we do good toward others, God will water our seed and bring in the harvest. We will see an ever-increasing crop of love, joy, peace, long-suffering, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.
Lord, give me strength today to sow seed to the Spirit. May I sow in faith, and await Your harvest with joy!
In Jesus Name!
