Good Morning Everyone,
Our theme for this month: “Boundaries”
Our Bible verse for today: “Don’t be deceived: God is not mocked. For whatever a man sows he will also reap, because the one who sows to his flesh will reap corruption from the flesh, but the one who sows to the Spirit will reap eternal life from the Spirit.” Galatians 6:7-8 (HCSB)
Our thought for today: “We must not violate the boundary of God’s law of sowing and reaping.”
The “Law of Sowing and Reaping” is a Biblical principle created and ordained by God to govern human affairs. It maintains that what you sow determines what you will reap. It is built upon the example of farming and reminds us that if a farmer wants a good crop, he must sow good seeds. He will not get a good crop from bad seeds. Likewise if he wants an abundant crop, he will have to sow lots of seed because if he sows sparingly, he will reap sparingly.
God has ordained that this same principle will govern all of life. If you are lazy and refuse to work, you have no right to expect a life filled with abundance. If you are mean to other people, other people will be mean to you. If you abuse your body with drugs and alcohol, your body will respond by getting sick and ceasing to function. You will reap what you sow. The Hindus call it karma. Conventional wisdom labels it a basic law of nature. But we know it’s a Biblical principle established by God and we can see it at work every day.
Since the law of sowing and reaping is a Biblical principle established by God, it’s important for us not to interfere with it. God established this law for a reason and we therefore need to be careful we don’t try to override its effects in other people’s lives. Doing so constitutes “enabling bad behavior”.
You know exactly what I mean. When someone we love and care about is reaping bad consequences as a result of their bad behavior, we instinctively want to jump in and minimize those bad consequences for them. But when we do that we are interfering with God’s work in their lives. They need to experience those bad consequences so they will stop the bad behavior. If they’re never allowed to feel the pain of their bad choices, they will have no incentive to make better choices.
Bad behavior should have bad consequences. If you and I take action to lessen that experience for the wrongdoer, we have interfered with the working of a Biblical principle – we have crossed a boundary and entered into an area we have no business being. God established the law of sowing and reaping for a reason. You and I need to get out of the way and let it have its intended effect in other people’s lives.
God Bless,
Pastor Jim
Oak Hill Baptist Church 