You've heard, 'As you sow, so shall you reap.'
Well, it is from the Bible, and you find it in Galatians 6:7. It reminds us, 'A man reaps what he sows.'
It's relatively straightforward that good seeds grow into good crops with adequate nurture.
Whether you are a farmer or not, you have been sowing something every day.
You may be sowing God's word into your children or your unbelieving family members right now.
You may be planting ethical work habits at your workplace or sowing discipline in your academic or professional growth.
You may be sowing words of encouragement or displaying a better attitude, thus transforming lives.
You may be sowing seeds of resentment/abuse that's tearing a relationship apart.
You may be sowing seeds of hostility/unforgiveness by refusing to pray for those who harmed you.
Think about what you have been sowing.
Is it edifying, or does it need uprooting?
Sowing bad seeds can be devastating and painful, especially for the one who is sowing.
However, sowing good seeds is beneficial for all.
Serving others and doing good is not that easy.
You will agree that it's a lot of hard work to do good and keep doing good! It requires a keen & loving heart, tremendous patience, and perseverance to see through in producing better results.
Do you know what would have happened if Joseph had built-up resentment for all the years of pain he suffered?
Egypt would have ceased to exist, along with most parts of the world.
Joseph had no idea that the seeds of faith and good attitude he kept watering would one day help him reconcile and reunite with his family and save them from getting wiped out by famine.
But did a turnaround in his circumstance come immediately?
No. And we know this from the later part of the book of Genesis.
Good things take time. Cos God makes everything beautiful in His time. (ref. Ecclesiastes 3:11)
Joseph caught a glimpse of God's work unfolding after many years.
His love and a sincere desire to follow God drove him to get up each day and wear a good attitude. He realized full well that God would complete the good work that had begun in him.
Think about what drives you to do good.
Is it the need to achieve a personal goal or impress someone, a need for feeling approved, or a heartfelt nudge to see better things happen?
Whatever be your intention, we need to bear in mind that the only one we need to impress is Jesus. (ref. Colossians 3:23-24)
Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright ©1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved