Sowing

When we think of sowing, most of us would immediately think of giving something away with the hope of a future harvest. Most Christians will think of giving money, even though we could sow other valuable things like time or prayer! If ‘to sow’ literally means to plant a seed, then we can explore from a Biblical perspective what it means for us to plant and water, with God ultimately causing growth and increase. With this in mind, my goal is to share a balanced view of the principles of sowing. To do this, we will look to answer 3 main questions: Why should you sow? Where should you sow? And how should you sow?

Why should you sow?
Sowing puts you in a position to receive. We are sometimes inclined to associate sowing with “loss” when it is actually the exact opposite (2 Corinthians 9:10). The opportunity to sow reminds us that we do not own anything; we are just stewards of what God has given us. It also allows our trust index with God to rise because if we can freely give back what He has given us, He can, and does, trust us with more. He is a loving father and will only give you what you are ready for. The best way to show that we are ready to be trusted with more is when we can give back or surrender the little He has given us. You cannot give with your hands closed. Giving, in its nature, puts you in a position to receive.

Where should you sow?
Where you want to reap. Galatians 6:7-8 says “Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. Whoever sows to please their flesh, from the flesh will reap destruction; whoever sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life.”

It matters where you sow. If sowing is the planting of seeds, you want to make sure the environment provides the best opportunities and is free from contamination. Sowing in the wrong places, intentionally or unintentionally, will yield rotten fruit or nothing at all. For example, if you spend your time consuming filth on social media (eye gate) or through profane music (ear gate), consider the environment you are cultivating; consider what you’ll yield (sexual immorality, lust, anxiety, worry and depression). Our mind is as much an environment as our surroundings!

If you instead prioritize and pursue an intimate relationship with God, you will create a truly rich environment – you’ll be “watering” the seeds of a discerning spirit, knowledge of God’s secrets, peace and an eternal life spent with the Father.

How should you sow?
Be dedicated and focused on the right kind of seed. Deuteronomy 22:9 says “You shall not sow your vineyard with two kinds of seed, lest the whole yield be forfeited, the crop that you have sown and the yield of the vineyard.”

Sowing a mix of bad seed and good seed is worse than sowing just bad seed. We can only be fully invested in Christ or fully invested in the world. Jesus says in Revelation 3:15 that He would rather us be “either cold or hot! Because [if we] are lukewarm… [He] will spit [us] out of [His] mouth”. Luke 16:13 also makes it clear that no servant can serve two masters. We cannot be fully serving Christ when we are still holding hands with the world. Sow with the intention and heart posture of reaping a heavenly harvest because earthly values and heavenly values are seldom aligned.

While these principles generally hold true, it is always worth considering:

1.        Your circumstances may not always be an indication of what you have sown. For example, when Job was suffering, his friends considered the trouble as a just punishment from God. But Job was not reaping what he had sown. Experiencing negative circumstances does not necessarily mean we have sown negative things. We are part of a picture that is bigger than we can see, and a story that is more complex than we can understand. Don’t mistake your wilderness or a season of difficulty as your ultimate harvest – the righteous are never forsaken. Allow the Lord’s strength to be made perfect in your weakness and remain steadfast.

2.        Sometimes when God walks in, human logic is pushed out. God’s mercy overrides whatever we deserve and He reserves the right to show mercy to whomever He wants to (Romans 9:15). We sowed iniquity and corruption, and Jesus reaped our punishment on the cross. As a result, we are living in the fruits of what we did not deserve. What a loving God! As humans, we expect ‘cause and effect’ or ‘input and output’ to have a linear relationship but we must always be reminded that God doesn’t work according to our understanding or standards (Isaiah 55:8-9).

In Summary:
·       Sowing puts you in a position to receive
·       You should be mindful of the environment you are creating and sowing into
·       Remain focused on the right kind of seed – you can’t mix values of the world and heaven and expect to yield heavenly fruit
·       God doesn’t work according to your understanding or standards