Reap What You Sow

You will reap what you sow. This is a spiritual truth. You can’t get away from it. It encompasses all life. Whichever words you metaphorically plant, whether from God or the enemy, have the potential to mature and bear fruit. This is why you must keep watch over the garden of your life and be intentional about what grows out of it. We should ask Jesus to create our garden because His fruit brings true life.

“Therefore hear the parable of the sower: When anyone hears the word of the kingdom, and does not understand it, then the wicked one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart. This is he who received seed by the wayside. But he who received the seed on stony places, this is he who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy; yet he has no root in himself, but endures only for a while. For when tribulation or persecution arises because of the word, immediately he stumbles. Now he who received seed among the thorns is he who hears the word, and the cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and he becomes unfruitful. But he who received seed on the good ground is he who hears the word and understands it, who indeed bears fruit and produces: some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.”

– Matthew 13:18-23 (NKJV)

God means for us to bear good fruit from the seed of Jesus’s words, whether they come from the Bible, or in other ways He speaks to us. His words can fall on good soil, plant deep, and grow into fruit-bearing plants. But the enemy can steal the Word from us, the precious seed may not go deep enough to survive times of trial, and the world is able to choke it. We have a part to play in all this though. We’re blessed with the opportunity for God’s words to change us and the world around us.

What words are you taking in?

The enemy doesn’t only want to take away God’s words, but also to supplant them with his own. You don’t find this in the parable above but it can be derived from other Scriptures and our own experience. The world brings weeds, thorns, and plants we do not want to bear fruit in our lives gardens.

Each of us has ways of thinking, feelings, things we say and do, that have grown from words the enemy has spoken to us. He takes every opportunity to lie about God, you, other people, or the way things are. In the aftermath of trauma and disillusionment, he whispers fear and doubt. If his words take root, they mature into bitterness, strife, and chaos.

His lies are first exhibited in thoughts we can either harbor or cast out. When we agree with him we begin to exercise our faith in the wrong direction. Our agreement with the lie soon becomes clear in what we say and do. This is when the seed has grown to the point that it’s broken the surface. It’s not external, or hidden in the mind and emotions anymore, and is producing bad fruit in our lives.

I recently allowed a wave of words from the world to come into my life through books, movies, tv shows, and games. This started changing my thinking subtly. I needed to practice moderation (1 Cor. 6:16) coupled with the washing of His Word. I realized I was beginning to feel a sort of numbness but was thankful to find God’s restoration was quick.

Remove the weeds.

Like Jesus was in the world but not of it, so are you (John 17:13-19). God empowers you to be able to maintain integrity even when the enemy is trying to sway you. The lies around the pain you’ve held on to affect your life and bear fruit which hurts others, you, and God. You don’t want this fruit in your garden, but it takes effort to root it out.

• Cut off the top of the weed. Do whatever’s needed to address the external effects of the internal lie. Stop speaking and acting in agreement with the enemy in these areas. Bring reconciliation if possible by asking forgiveness and forgiving others. Always remember to bless and not curse.
• Pull up the base of the plant. Look for the lie the enemy planted in your mind and emotions. Ask God to reveal the deep motivation in your soul beneath the external problem. Listen for Him to speak the truth about that area. Renounce the lie and proclaim God’s truth.
• Be vigilant, the roots have possibly gone deep and wide and it’s seeds have spread. But God is on your side. When you struggle, the enemy will speak condemnation and despair. But repeat the above steps. Continue asking God to take out the seeds of lies, pull up their roots, and plant His truth. Proclaim your freedom in Jesus and the truth of His Word.

Plan your garden to grow fruit that remains and reap what you sow.

Working in the garden is laborious but worth the effort. You don’t want to only get rid of the lies and replace them with truths though, you’ll also want to plant new ideas from God. Let Him speak new things into your life.

Submit your thoughts and feelings to His ideas even though they are different from your own. Agree with His words even when they are beyond your understanding. Let them affect what you say and do, moving you into new areas of faith. You are becoming more and more like Jesus as you take in His truth and represent Him in this world.

His truth isn’t meant to lie dormant under the surface. It is to mature into fruit that remains, the advancement of God’s everlasting kingdom. You glorify Him as the produce of your garden lets the world taste heaven on Earth. Isn’t it amazing to get to be a part of that?