Galatians 6:6-10, CEB - Those who are taught the
word should share all good things with their teacher. Make no mistake, God is
not mocked. A person will harvest what they plant. Those who plant only for their own benefit
will harvest devastation from their selfishness, but those who plant for the
benefit of the Spirit will harvest eternal life from the Spirit. Let’s not get
tired of doing good, because in time we’ll have a harvest if we don’t give up. So then, let’s work for the good of all
whenever we have an opportunity, and especially for those in the household of
faith.
Questions: What
is planted in your spirit? What is
growing in your heart? What seeds are in
the soil of your relationships?
We began with the questions today
because the scripture naturally leads to them without any explanation. If virtues are planted in the spirit, fruitful
virtue tends to bloom in one’s life. If
bitterness is growing in your heart, anger and resentment seem to creep into
our motivations and actions. If seeds of
trust and gratitude is planted in relationships, then those same blooms tend to multiply.
Let’s apply this principle to
forgiveness (if you haven’t already). If
you have truly received and embraced forgiveness for you own mistakes, that
forgiveness planted in your soul tends
to make the “soil” of your soil more receptive to the possibility of you
forgiving others. It works the other way
as well. If your do the hard work of
forgiving others, your heart is even more prepared to embrace forgiveness of
others and God; it’s a more “natural” experience. If you want to forgive, work
on embracing the truth that your have been forgiven. If you want to expand your own experience of
being forgiven, then work on forgiving others.
Paul is ruthless on this
principle. You can’t fake the true condition
of your heart, spirit, and mind. What
you plant there will determine what blossoms in your life, for better or for
worse. What you practice in your
relationships will produce a natural result.
So back to the questions for the
day.
Questions: What
is planted in your spirit? What is
growing in your heart? What seeds are in
the soil of your relationships?
Prayer: Eternal God,
from the beginning of our lives, your desire has been to plant your image and
character in us. Forgive us for the ways
we have been uncooperative with your purpose.
We will strive from this moment to receive your goodness and let it take
root in our heart. May our capacity to
receive and give forgiveness increase.
Amen.
Prayer Focus: Pray
for God to bless all the mothers you know today.
Song: You Gotta Reap
What You Sow – Alberta Hunter
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