Plant Generously
In his second letter to the believers in Corinth, Greece, the apostle Paul expressed His gratefulness for their commitment to generosity before challenging them with this statement:
“Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously.”
2 Corinthians 9:6 NIV
Paul knew that God had established some common-sense principles when it came to generosity. All throughout Scripture, we see both natural and spiritual implications of this cycle.
Natural: If you plant a few seeds in the ground, you will reap a small harvest. If you plant hundreds or thousands of seeds in the ground, you will reap a large harvest.
Spiritual: If you spend your time, money, talents, or energy investing in a friend, a stranger, a ministry, or the next generation, God can certainly multiply those efforts.
But Paul also makes it clear in the surrounding verses that you shouldn’t just give to get. If you do give, you should do so willingly and cheerfully—not begrudgingly.
What we sow with the right heart, God will surely multiply what we produce.
Proverbs 11:18 says, “…the one who sows righteousness reaps a sure reward.” Hosea 10:13 says, “You have planted wickedness, you have reaped evil, you have eaten the fruit of deception...”
Instead of seeds of selfishness, anger, or pride, let’s plant seeds of selflessness, peace, and humility.
Ask yourself: How am I investing my life? What types of seeds am I planting? Am I trusting that God will multiply my efforts when invested with the right heart?
Take some time to reflect on what you’re planting and reaping today, and ask God to direct your steps.
“And when Athaliah the mother of Ahaziah saw that her son was dead, she arose and destroyed all the seed royal. But Jehosheba, the daughter of king Joram, sister of Ahaziah, took Joash the son of Ahaziah, and stole him from among the king's sons which were slain; and they hid him, even him and his nurse, in the bedchamber from Athaliah, so that he was not slain. And he was with her hid in the house of the LORD six years. And Athaliah did reign over the land. And the seventh year Jehoiada sent and fetched the rulers over hundreds, with the captains and the guard, and brought them to him into the house of the LORD, and made a covenant with them, and took an oath of them in the house of the LORD, and shewed them the king's son. And he commanded them, saying, This is the thing that ye shall do; A third part of you that enter in on the sabbath shall even be keepers of the watch of the king's house; and a third part shall be at the gate of Sur; and a third part at the gate behind the guard: ...
First Things First
There are plenty of things in life that beg for our attention. Our days are filled with relationships and responsibilities, all of which take time.
In Jesus’ famous sermon in Matthew 6, He spends some time talking about the various things we give our attention to. He explains that instead of spending all of our time and energy worrying about our basic need and desires in life, we should first seek His kingdom and His righteousness. If we do that, everything else will fall into place.
So, what does it mean to seek God’s kingdom and His righteousness?
God’s kingdom is about God’s rule and reign over all of creation. His kingdom was unleashed during Jesus’ ministry on earth, and is now growing and expanding throughout the global Church. The work of the kingdom is to continue to tell others about the hope of Jesus, and to teach everything that Jesus has commanded.
To seek God’s righteousness is to desire to live the way God intended. It's to live according to God’s...