The “Law of Sowing and Reaping” is a universal and inescapable fact of life. We need to be sowing to the Spirit – here’s how.
Each spring, millions of people put seed in the ground in the hopes of growing something. Some people are farmers; they load up their large tractors with thousands of pounds of seed to sow hundreds of acres worth of crops. Others plant backyard gardens complete with tomatoes, squash, cucumbers, lettuce, onions, garlic, and potatoes.
But no matter what one plants and for what purpose, one thing holds constant: the plants you grow are determined by the type of seed you used.
Tomato seeds will produce tomato plants. Pumpkin seeds produce pumpkin plants. Corn seeds will grow corn plants. Lettuce and carrot seeds, as small and hard to plant as they may be, will develop into lettuce and carrots.
This is what we might refer to as, “The Law of Sowing and Reaping.” What you sow is what you get.
The Bible tells us that the same principle applies to our everyday lives. In Galatians, we read the following:
Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap. For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life. And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up. So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith. [Galatians 6:7-10, ESV]
Each day, we are faced with decisions. Most of us don’t realize just how many choices we make on a daily basis. We choose whether to be stingy or generous, open or closed, available or distant. We choose what to buy. We choose what to say to our acquaintances, friends, family, and spouse. Every action at work is accompanied, in some form or another, by a choice.
Choices, choices, and more choices.
Each choice we make can be thought of as a “seed.” The action is the seed you plant; the consequences of that action are the things that grow as a result.
Just seeds will produce plants, actions will produce consequences.
Let’s re-read Galatians 6:7.
Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap.
Written by Paul the Apostle, Galatians was a letter to the churches in ancient Galatia (located in present-day Turkey). In this verse, Paul used some pretty strong wording to convey his message: Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap.
You see, the first problem facing many of Paul’s readers – and many of us in the modern day – is that we lose sight of the fundamental truth that actions have consequences.
To really drive this home, let’s ask a question: when was the last time you made a decision based upon the idea that you would not experience consequences? In my case, I find that my ongoing struggles with sin are vulnerable points here. When I am tempted to cave to a certain sin, my mind will often ask itself a question, “Can I get away with this?”
You’re faced with the temptation to lust. I can get away with this, right?
You’re faced with the temptation to curse someone behind their back. They won’t hear me, so no one gets hurt… right?
Indeed, it is so easy to imagine that small actions done in complete secrecy will not harm you. They’re done in secret, after all!
Yet these so-called “secret sins” are not the only times we are led to disregard the teachings in this verse. Sometimes, we can become convinced that even the “big stuff” is stuff we can get away with. This includes activity such as hard drinking, partying, lying, sexual immorality, and even theft or other forms of crime.
There is always a temptation to think to ourselves, “Jesus is my savior, so my sins are covered. I can sin as much as I want.”
But that is a very, very dangerous way of thinking. This is what Paul was confronting when he implored his readers to “not be deceived,” because “God is not mocked.”
If we’re not careful, even the most diligent and faithful Christians can fall into the trap of believing that there is such a thing as consequence-free living. It’s also why Paul writes, in verses 7 and 8,
...for whatever one sows, that will he also reap. For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life.
That leads us to a very important dichotomy: there are two ways to sow.
The Two Ways to Sow
In Galatians 6:7-8, Paul shows us that we can either sow to our flesh or sow to the Spirit. These are the two umbrella categories that each and every action we take will fall into.
When one “sows to his flesh,” he is essentially planting the seeds of corruption and decay. In the Bible – and particularly the New Testament – there is a framework set forth that this world is a world of two camps: the flesh and the Spirit. The flesh includes all of our fallenness. When we sin, we please our flesh.
The flesh is inherently selfish and concerned with seeking gratification. Romans tells us,
For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace. For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God's law; indeed, it cannot. Those who are in the flesh cannot please God. Romans 8:6-8 [ESV]
In other words, the “flesh” is hostile to God. It is against Him and against what He wants to do in our world and in our life. That’s why Romans tells us that the mind set on the flesh is death. It doesn’t submit to God, and it doesn’t even have the capability to submit to Him.
When we take an action such as willfully disobeying God, we are sowing to the flesh. When we commit sin, we’re sowing to the flesh. What the verbiage has in mind here is this: sowing is an action. If you act in a way that pleases the flesh, that satisfies your sinful desires and seeks to glorify yourself rather than God, you’re going to reap brokenness. You’re going to reap corruption. You’re going to reap death.
Each action has a consequence, whether we see it or not.
Addiction to pornography, while perhaps not directly harming another person, has consequences for those who are addicted. Laziness, while it may seem innocent or benign, harms both the person who is lazy and those around him or her.
You cannot escape the law of sowing and reaping.
If you sow to the flesh, you’ll reap bad consequences. You will receive brokenness. That’s a guarantee. To think otherwise – to imagine that you can live a life of sowing to the flesh but escaping the consequences – is to mock God.
But let’s look at the flip side: sowing to the Spirit.
Just as consequences are guaranteed for every action done for the flesh, consequences are also guaranteed for each action done for the Spirit. These are good consequences! If you sow to the flesh, you’re going to reap corruption and brokenness. But what if you sow to the Spirit?
Galatians says you’ll reap eternal life!
Indeed, that is the hallmark of a Christian life which is truly in obedience to God and what He has for us. If you step out in faith, trusting the Lord for all your needs, you are sowing to the Spirit. If you seek Him, if you make time for Him, if you desire to please Him and follow His will for your life, you’re sowing to the Spirit.
Galatians tells us that you’ll be rewarded. In fact, the rewards to sowing in the Spirit are so vast that we probably will not – and cannot – experience them entirely in this lifetime. We cannot comprehend what that fully means for us.
Romans also shows us that the mind set on the Spirit is “life and peace.” Do you want peace in your situation? Do you want to have that peace which surpasses all understanding? Do you want to be that person who can stand in the middle of life’s fiercest storm and say, “It is well with my soul?”
Guess what?
Sow to the Spirit. It all starts there.
A Practical Application
We’ve looked at what is meant by sowing to the flesh and sowing to the Spirit. We’ve compared and contrasted them. But what does this dichotomy look like in our day to day lives?
It might be tempting to think that this is a question of rote obedience. We can approach this from the angle of, “If I do this, then God will do this.”
But that is the incorrect way to look at it.
As a Biblical example, the Pharisees of Jesus’s day were among the most outwardly-righteous people on the Earth. They prayed, they tithed, they read and memorized Scripture, and they never missed religious services. They were lauded by the Jewish community and looked upon as community leaders.
Yet Jesus’s harshest words were reserved for these men.
Christ made it clear that God did not accept the outward righteousness of the Pharisees. In fact, He hated it. There was no place for fake righteousness in God’s favor. And that has not changed today.
Rather than look to outward deeds – deeds of giving, tithing, “stopping sin,” or going to church – we need to look inward.
We need to ask ourselves, “Where is my heart? Why am I doing this?”
Do you need to stop sinning? Yes. God commands us to repent, which means nothing less than turning away from our sinful behavior and embracing His perfect plan. But rote obedience is not His answer. And if you try to battle your sins, whatever they may be, in your own strength, you will fail a hundred percent of the time.
If you battle sin and death in your own power, you are not truly “sowing to the Spirit.”
To truly sow to the Spirit, we need to focus on our hearts. We need to adopt a position of resignation. We need to wave the white flag. All too often, the storms of life find us doing everything we can to calm the waters on our own strength. That’s my natural setting. When a huge battle comes before me in my life, I will do all I can to win… and prayer is my last resort.
But prayer should be our first resort.
Our hearts should always be inclined towards God in a spirit of willing submission. God is our good Shepherd, and we – His sheep – know and obey His voice. By obeying God in love and humility, we are truly sowing to the Spirit. We are truly loving God. We cannot take a passive approach to our Christian walk – effort is involved in every relationship, including the one we have with God – but the source of our strength cannot come from ourselves.
The solution here is simple yet incredibly hard: rest in God. Rest in Christ.
Do you have a sin that seems impossible to overcome? Stop fighting it in your strength, and start fighting it in His strength.
Do you have situations that are beyond your control? Stop trying to control them. Stop trying to come up with answers on your own power. Go to Him.
Do you have issues that have no solution? Are you stuck between a multitude of paths, each one appearing rocky and uneven? Do not trust yourself. Go to Him.
Every time we fall before the Lord in a place of humility and submission, we sow to the Spirit. Every time we obey Him out of love and trust, we sow to the Spirit. Every time we display a righteousness that is NOT our own, but rather His, we sow to the Spirit.
Remember: no matter who you are or what you’ve done, you do not have to continue going down the path you are now. You don’t have to keep sowing to the flesh! You can start sowing to the Spirit today, and reap a reward of peace and life that will last with you into eternity.