Worth the Effort

11.07.11

Galatians 6.7-8 7 Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. 8 Whoever sows to please their flesh, from the flesh will reap destruction; whoever sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life. NIV

Paul is addressing life choices here: life will yield whatever we plant. The Galatians were planting to please their flesh: what they thought everyone else was thinking about them. It is amazing the power such thoughts have over us. And it’s amazing how we respond to such power.

What am I sowing today? Am I sowing spiritual seed that will yield a godly harvest, or am I sowing to please my flesh? How am I responding to outside influence? Am I standing strong in Christ, or am I giving ground to what I think everyone thinks about me? Is it worth all the effort? These are things I need to pay close attention to because to go to all the effort to sow the wrong seed is to realize that one day I will reap the wrong harvest.

The weird thing is, when I think about what I think others think about me, there are two things at play: one is, I think what only I perceive; and two: people, in reality, really don’t think about me all that much – they’re too busy thinking about what they think others think about them. So most all of us spend an inordinate amount of time thinking that others are having such a party thinking about us; when in reality others are busy thinking about what they think others think about them. Silly. And the truth is if we're not careful, we live believing others really think those thoughts about us!

What matters is what God thinks. What matters is what is expressed about us in the Word of God and how we apply that to our lives. What matters is sowing to please the Spirit of God so that from that effort we’ll reap eternal life. What matters is living in response to God’s thoughts and what He actually thinks about us.

So, what are our life-choices today; and for whom are we choosing to live? That is what makes all the difference in our lives. What is the all the effort we are going to – and is all that effort worth all that effort? It is if it's the right effort. My choice today is to sow as much spiritual seed as I can, that will spring up to a spiritual harvest and one day yield the fruit of eternal life. And eternal life is worth all my effort…