What’s your first thought when someone mentions sowing and reaping? Many of us immediately hear it as a warning not to sin, because a painful harvest will result. But the principle also applies to planting good seed, which pleases God and produces righteousness. In fact, the New Testament speaks more often about positive harvests than negative ones.
It’s agonizing to stand in a field of ripened sin, feeling regret at the realization that we did the planting. However, even in the midst of the bitter harvest, we can make a choice to plant differently, with the goal of a good crop. It’s never too late to change seed.
Our lives are a continual work in progress, but sometimes we become impatient or lack the diligence to keep sowing the right kind of seed. While we’re still dealing with the bad fruit from our past sins, we may lose hope of ever seeing a healthy yield. But if we don’t grow weary and give up, God will bring the good fruit to maturity. And when we finally see the harvest of righteousness, we’ll understand that it was worth the work and the wait.
Read Galatians 5:16-26; Galatians 6:8-10
Before opening your Bible, ask the Holy Spirit to reveal what He wants you to take away from these passages. Then read the verses, jotting down your first impressions: What questions do you have? Is anything confusing? Which verses speak into your present situation, and how?
In these passages, the apostle Paul outlines two different ways to “walk”—that is, ways to live—along with their corresponding harvests: Walk by the Spirit, reaping the fruit of the Spirit and eternal life; or walk in the flesh and reap corrupting deeds of the flesh. These are the only two options, and they’re in strong opposition to one another (Gal. 5:17). There’s no way to straddle the fence on this issue.
The flesh is the human personality controlled by sin and led into selfish pursuits. This aspect of our humanity can never be improved or rehabilitated; it will remain a part of us until we die or are transformed and caught up to meet the Lord at the rapture.
All it takes to walk in the flesh is to do what comes naturally—to follow our own desires, fight for our rights, and depend upon ourselves. The only way to control and overcome these fleshly desires is by the Spirit (Gal. 5:16).
Walking by the Spirit requires self-denial and dependency upon God for every step we take. The Christian life is a supernatural walk because it’s initiated and empowered by the Holy Spirit, who lives within every believer.
So how can we know whether we are sowing seed from the Spirit or the flesh? It may not be as obvious as we might think. Consider the scriptural example of the Galatians who had fallen into Jewish legalism and were trying to sanctify themselves by their own efforts to keep the Law. Paul admonished them with these questions: “Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh?” (Gal. 3:3).
If we are trying to live righteously in our own strength, we will still be sowing to the flesh. No amount of self-effort can produce good seed. Every righteous harvest must be sown in the Spirit by submitting fully to Him and walking in obedience to the Word of God.
Reflect
Write your thoughts in a journal.
• Colossians 3:5-17 uses other terms to describe the concept of sowing to the flesh versus sowing to the Spirit. According to this passage, what qualities are associated with “the old self” and which ones are part of “the new self”?
• What does it mean to “let the word of Christ richly dwell within you” (Col. 3:16)? How does James 1:21-25 describe this idea? What is the proof that the Word is implanted within us? What harvest is predicted in verse 25?
• Second Peter shows us how both we and God are involved in the sowing process (2 Peter 1:1-11). What does the Lord provide, according to the first four verses? What are we told to supply in verses 5-7? When we sow these qualities in our lives, what will be the fruit, or results (2 Peter 1:8-10)? Sometimes the harvest does not come until eternity (2 Peter 1:11). What does Peter mean when he says, “For in this way the entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ will be abundantly supplied to you”? What further insight do you find in 1 Corinthians 3:10-15?
Respond
• Consider what kind of seed you’ve been planting in the following areas of your life: your character, conversation, work ethic, treatment of people, and use of time. Would you say that you have been sowing more to the flesh or to the Spirit in each area? What kinds of harvests have you already observed in your life? Which areas need replanting with good seed, and what are some ways that you could start to do that?
• Sowing to the Spirit” may at times seem vague, but as you fill your mind with Scripture, your understanding of what God desires will become increasingly evident. Walking by the Spirit simply means being controlled by what He has said in His Word.
Revisit
• It’s sometimes hard to maintain an awareness of what we are sowing in our lives. In the midst of daily responsibilities and stresses, we may inadvertently relapse into our old ways of responding to situations and people. As a reminder of your desire to sow to the Spirit, repeat Paul’s prayer in Colossians 1:9-11, focusing on the meaning of each phrase. And if you have time, memorize the passage and make it a part of your regular prayer time at least once a week.
• That same passage from Colossians 1 is appropriate to pray for others, whether or not they are already believers. Pray those verses to the Lord periodically when you intercede for others.
Oranges on a Branch, 1885 (Watercolor & pencil on paper), by Winslow Homer
