Galatians
6:7-8 Do
not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also
reap. 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.
Sowing looks like a losing
business. A farmer sows an edible cornel of corn into the ground, never to see it
again. Time passes without any activity. Yet in time we see a young shoot begin
to appear. How and when this shoot appears is beyond the power of the farmer.
Growth is given when the rain falls and the ground puts forth its nourishments.
All this happens without the eye’s ability to see.
Sowing to the Spirit seems a
very dreamy business. Sowing to the Holy Spirit is to deny ourselves and appear
to get nothing in return. Yet we are told to do this in order to begin to grow.
Selfishness is our natural
response to life, apart from God’s influencing power. To sow to our flesh is to
seek covetousness, selfishness and ignorance of others and their basic human
and spiritual needs. Such a life leaves us with loneliness, greed and a never
satisfied attitude toward the world around us. This is a life apart from faith
and trust in Jesus Christ. Paul warns us that such a life will bring forth, in
the end, misery and loss.
If we sow to the Spirit by
studying to live as God directs us, seeking to be obedient to His will and
laying up for ourselves things in heaven we will not be working in vain. Our
attitude toward life and toward God will change. His Spirit will bring a change
that is, at first, beyond the view of others and ourselves. As we draw near to
Him, the Spirit will draw us closer to Him. We will learn to trust and obey.
Life will be our
reward. Christ came to give us life in abundance, now and forever. Such newness
of life will begin in a mind and heart transformed by the Holy Spirit. He will
teach us all the things Christ taught the disciples. Like the cornel of corn,
the Spirit’s dwelling within us will bring forth a new and renewed person. This
life flows on like an ever deepening, ever widening river until we enter His
presence.
