Count on it! (Day 5)

...the one who sows to please the Spirit will reap eternal life. Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.

Galatians 6:9

The seed of our life is the time, talents, actions and intents that we disperse during our years on this earth. The seed allotment we are given at birth looks pretty similar; yet the outcome among individuals over a lifetime is amazingly individual. The crucial factor is the soil in which we sow our seed.

If we sow our seed to the Spirit, we will experience three things: an abundant harvest, an eternity in which to enjoy it and a wait. We know how to sow to the self. It is the roadside grass of our fallen nature—quick to germinate but ultimately useless.

Spiritual crops mature at their own rate. Often the germination process is so slow we wonder if there is life there at all. It takes time for a strong spiritual root system to develop. Sometimes progress can seem maddeningly slow and we can’t help wonder if maturity is even a possibility. But as the verse says, “at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.”   

 How do we recognize the produce grown in spiritual soil?

 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control…Since we live by the Spirit let us keep in step with the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other.                                                                                   Galatians 5:22, 25, 26

 The fruit of the Spirit originates from a changed and changing heart. The life of the Spirit is, well, spiritual—an inner transformation.

Our friend Asaph from Psalm 73 is a wonderful example of that. He was a religious guy who most likely looked pretty good to other temple-goers. However, he was eaten up with envy (vs. 3). The result was that he almost lost his spiritual foothold (vs. 2). It was only when he confessed his sin and adjusted his worldview to eternal realities (vs. 26) that the joy of his salvation was restored to him.

When, through the Spirit, we sow love, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control into the lives and circumstances of those around us, we are promised that the same will return to us as an abundant harvest, a bumper crop to be enjoyed forever. And then, with the juice running down our chins for all eternity, we will be absolutely, positively sure that it was all worth it!

 Nancy Shirah