Planting and Harvesting

Planting and Harvesting

This summer I planted my first garden.  I got the dirt ready; Stephanie bought the seeds, and then I planted them.  To be honest, at first I wondered if anything would grow.  I waited patiently, tried to pull up the weeds, and made a bigger than expected effort of keeping water on it.  I soon realized that if I didn't water the garden for a week, almost all of my plants would begin to shrivel and die.

Image Found at
 http://www.plant-and-flower-guide.com/how-do-plants-grow.html

Over the last few weeks we have been talking a lot about agriculture in the youth ministry.  We have talked about dirt, seeds, what kind of things it takes for a seed to grow, and what kinds of things are harmful to the growth of a seed.  For example, one of the lessons we talked about was the “Sower and the Seed” parable that Jesus spoke about in Matthew 13 (check it out it’s a good one). 

Throughout the Bible there are many illustrations about planting and reaping.  This makes sense because the growth of vegetation is something we see all around us almost every day.  It does not take a PhD to realize when you plant something, and if you foster its growth with its particular food, it will most likely grow. 

In Galatians 6 the Apostle Paul gives us another one of these farming illustrations, he states, “⁷ Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap. ⁸ For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life. ⁹ And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up. ¹⁰ So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith” (Galatians 6: 7-10, ESV).  

Just like we see all around us with vegetation, in our spiritual life, what we plant and what we feed will grow.  The simple truth is that God will not be mocked.  If we plant and feed sinful habits they will grow, and grow, and grow into destruction.  However, if we plant and feed actions pleasing to the Spirit we will have eternal life.  No one is exempt from this universal principle.

I believe the IVP New Testament Commentary summarizes this concept well by saying, “ Sowing to please the Spirit means "serving one another in love" (Gal. 5:13), restoring one who has been caught in sin (Gal. 6:1), carrying the burdens of others (Gal. 6:2), giving generously to those who teach in the church (Gal. 6:6) and doing good to all (Gal. 6:9)…. Sowing to the Spirit in the context of Paul's teaching here involves building love relationships with others.  Sowing to the Spirit cannot be done in isolation or separation from others. Carrying the burdens of others requires in-depth participation in their pain and sorrow.  As we see in verse 9, sowing to the Spirit means doing good to others.  If sowing to the sinful nature means selfish indulgence, then sowing to the Spirit means selfless service.”[1]

Father, please help us to be a people who sow to the Spirit.  Please give us endurance and strength to keep watering and feeding the habits of the Spirit.  Help us see the places where we are feeding our sinful nature and give us the ability to starve them out.  Father, please cause our love for you to grow!

~Trev

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[1] G. Walter Hanson, Galatians, http://www.biblegateway.com/resources/ivp-nt/Reaping-What-You-Sow, 11/1/ 2012




Here is a song that you will be whistling the rest of the day :)
It has to do with planting and harvesting. Hope you enjoy it!