You Reap What You Sow: Sow What?

Whatever a man is sowing, he will also reap.

​If you plant dishonesty, you will reap distrust. If you plant selfishness, you will reap loneliness. If you plant pride, you will reap destruction. If you plant envy, you will reap trouble. If you plant laziness, you will reap stagnation. If you plant bitterness, you will reap isolation. If you plant greed, you will reap loss. If you plant gossip, you will reap enemies. If you plant worries, you will reap wrinkles. If you plant sin, you will reap guilt.

​BUT... ​If you plant honesty, you will reap trust. If you plant goodness, you will reap friends. If you plant humility, you will reap greatness. If you plant perseverance, you will reap victory. If you plant consideration, you will reap harmony. If you plant hard work, you will reap success. If you plant forgiveness, you will reap reconciliation. If you plant openness, you will reap intimacy. If you plant patience, you will reap improvements. If you plant faith, you will reap miracles.

You reap what you sow. Whatever you need more of in life, give it away. A buried seed brings fruit; a selfless life reaps an eternal harvest. I would like to share a daily devotional from the book, Our Daily Bread.

On the clock tower of my alma mater is an Art Decobas-relief sculpture titled The Sower. The inscription beneath it is from Galatians 6:7, "Whatsoever a man soweth." Jesus used many farming metaphors to explain the kingdom of God. In the parable of the sower, He compared the Word of God to seeds sown in different types of soil. As the parable indicates, the sower sows indiscriminately, knowing that some seed will fall in places where it will not grow.

Like Jesus, we are to sow good seed in all places at all times. God is responsible for where it lands and how it grows. The important thing is that we sow. God does not want us to reap destruction, so He wants us to sow what is good and right. The apostle Paul elaborated on the metaphor when he warned believers not to sow seeds of corruption. Instead, we are to sow seeds that will reap eternal life.

The answer to the question, "Sow what?" is "Sow what you want to reap." To reap a good harvest in your life, start sowing seeds of goodness.

Sow a thought, reap an act;
​Sow an act, reap a habit;
​Sow a habit, reap a character;
Sow a character, reap a destiny.