Sowing and Reaping

“Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, this he will also reap.”

(rf. Gal. 6:7 NASB)

            When we were much younger, we gave no thought to how our actions and attitudes really affected others. We lived in the moment. We responded in ways that we felt were appropriate to our situation, our dreams, our futures, etc. We possessed the same mindset as expressed in the commercials of some years ago, “What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas!”, except appropriated, not for Vegas, but for our former times. We excuse them now as “past indiscretions”, not to be held against us for any reason. There should be no holdovers or sins for which we are presently responsible.

            Yet, as the Apostle Paul clearly states in the above passage, “Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, this he will also reap.” It is not that Paul is teaching that our past sins are not forgiven us, if we are truly repentant. God forbid that we come to such a conclusion! However, he shares an accompanying principle of utmost importance for us to grasp. Though our sins may be forgiven by God and cleansed by Christ’s blood, they may not be absent from consequences that are forthcoming. Let us take the following as an illustration. An alcoholic man who has been slave to liquor for many years is graciously saved by Jesus and is released from his bondage to the bottle, never to return. In his gratitude for his liberation, this man pledges his life in service to the Lord, sharing his testimony for years with great response to his heartfelt words. Then, one day, he is overcome with abdominal pain and is taken to the hospital where he is unfortunately diagnosed with cirrhosis of the liver. Though he had been forgiven of his sin of alcoholism and released from its bondage, the consequences of all of those years of drinking took its toll on his liver and brought about the dreadful condition. Even as a believer in Christ, he was reaping what he had also sown.

            All of us must be very careful of what we do in the present. Our society teaches us through every medium to “live in the moment”. However, our actions and attitudes now have direct consequences not only to those around us at present, but also in how we will “reap” from those same actions and attitudes in the future. The principle quoted by Paul is irrevocable. It cannot nor will not change. Therefore, we are the ones who must be cautious in how we approach the present.

            One final illustration. In God’s great commandments, He said to “Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be prolonged in the land which the Lord your God gives you” (rf. Ex. 20:12 NASB). If today, we interact with our parents in a dishonorable and disrespectful manner, we are foolish to believe that God will sit idly by and let us get away with such a flagrant disregard to His commands (Remember: “Do not be deceived, God is not mocked”). Most assuredly, as the grass greens following a refreshing spring rainstorm, so God will make sure your children will repay your previous dishonor and disrespect to you many-fold as a reminder that “whatever a man sows, this he will also reap.”

            Let us then make a commitment to ourselves and to the Lord to be faithful to Him and to others at all times, especially in the present moment. May our prayer be to remember that all of our actions and attitudes directly affect the lives of others and are a reflection to others of how much of an influence Jesus Christ is on us daily. With this in mind and heart, in the future may we “reap” a great boon because of the present blessing we are consciously and willfully “sow(ing)” now.