Bob Tamasy
Remember the time-worn adage, “You reap what you sow”? Did you ever think maybe that’s not exactly true? Because in reality, we always reap more than what we sow.
Imagine a farmer who was sowing corn and planning to reap the exact same amount that he had sown? For example, he planted 1,000 kernels of corn. Then, when harvest season arrived he went out and expected to reap 1,000 more kernels of corn? Ridiculous, right? Maybe 1,000 ears of corn – or more – covered with kernels.
When a farmer sows a field, whether it’s corn, soybeans, wheat or any other crop, the anticipation is for an abundant harvest, a crop that multiplies many times the amount of seed that originally was sown. So, the truth is whatever we’re sowing, we reap more than we sow. Much more.
Reading the Bible we often come across agricultural metaphors, which is understandable since the Scriptures were written originally to people living in a predominantly agrarian society. This is why we often come across references to seeds, cultivating, sowing, harvesting, producing fruit, and other such things. God uses these ‘visual aids’ as tangible ways for illustrating His truth.
Many of us have little or no experience with farming, other than having driven past farms while traveling. However, the teachings and principles we find in the Bible using agricultural examples are as valid today as they were thousands of years ago. Still, why is this matter of sowing and reaping important for us today?
If we take even a quick glance at our world today, it’s clear there’s a lot of ‘sowing’ going on – much of it not good. For instance, the seeds of discord which seem to be ripping our society apart. Seeds of anger are manifesting a ripe crop of conflict, hatred, hopelessness and despair. Seeds of malevolence in all of its many forms have grown into crops of evil that were unimaginable just decades ago.
A fairly obscure book in the Bible’s Old Testament, Hosea, presents some interesting insights into the process of sowing and reaping. Affirming the idea that we actually reap much more than we sow, Hosea 8:7 warns, “For they sow the wind, and they shall reap the whirlwind….” No one wants to be around when a gentle breeze turns into a tornado. But the prophet also offers a more hopeful observation: “Sow righteousness for yourselves, reap the fruit of unfailing love…” (Hosea 10:12).
We find a similar statement in Proverbs 11:8, “The wicked man earns an empty wage, but he who sows righteousness reaps a true reward.” And in the New Testament book of James, which parallels Proverbs in terms of its emphasis on wisdom, we read, “Peacemakers who sow in peace reap the fruit of righteousness” (James 3:18). Sowing the seeds of peace and righteousness – we could do with a lot more of that these days.
From an individual perspective, every day we’re sowing something: It might be seeds resulting in what Galatians 5:23 calls “the fruit of the Spirit…love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.” Or we might be sowing the antitheses of those virtues, including hatred, unrest, selfishness, anger and chaos.
Later in the same book we find a strong exhortation – and a warning. “Do not be deceived: God is not to be mocked. Whatever a man sows, he will reap in return. The one who sows to please his flesh, from the flesh will reap destruction; but the one who sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life” (Galatians 6:7-8).
We’re tempted at times – I know that I am – to ‘scream and shout and dance about’ in frustration over things that are transpiring in our world. When it seems there’s nothing we can do about them, we feel at least we can say (or scream) something – on social media, in emails, in heated conversations. But the Scriptures suggest an alternative approach:
If we’re upset, instead of spewing anger and malice, we can do as Psalm 126:5-6 admonishes: “Those who sow in tears will reap with shouts of joy. He who goes out weeping, bearing a trail of seed, will surely return with shouts of joy, carrying sheaves of grain.”
And we can pray, appealing to God to intervene and exert His sovereign control. “Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving present your requests to God” (Philippians 4:4-6).
Can you imagine what a rich harvest we can reap from sowing prayers of joy and thanksgiving as we earnestly submit our cares and concerns to the Lord?
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Robert J. Tamasy is a veteran journalist, former newspaper editor, and magazine editor. Bob has written, co-authored and edited more than 20 books. These include ”Marketplace Ambassadors”; “Business At Its Best: Timeless Wisdom from Proverbs for Today’s Workplace”; “Tufting Legacies,” “The Heart of Mentoring,” and “Pursuing Life With a Shepherd’s Heart.” He writes and edits a weekly business meditation, “Monday Manna,” which is translated into nearly 20 languages and distributed via email around the world by CBMC International. The address for Bob's blog is www.bobtamasy.blogspot.com. His email address is btamasy@comcast.net.