Harvest season is upon us and what better time to reflect upon reaping and sowing, although that isn't exactly what came to my mind this morning as I opened my Bible. God had a different lesson for me this morning than the lesson I thought I needed. I was turning in my Bible to Galatians to read through the fruit of the spirit, some fruit that seems to be lacking in my life and my family, when an underlined verse in 2 Corinthians 9 caught my eye.
"But this I say, He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully. Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work:" 2 Corinthians 9:6-8
I have heard many a sermon on this verse used to encourage giving and tithing, but this morning the Spirit impressed on my heart how this verse applies to me as a mother and the harvest I am reaping in my home.
As an overwhelmed, frequently exhausted mother my reaping and sowing techniques have been more of a survival mode, haphazardly tossing the seeds and yanking weeds for survival, but not planning, preparing the soil and seed and faithfully nurturing and tending those seeds until they become a bountiful harvest. It should be no wonder that I am reaping weeds of clutter in my home, suffocating piles of laundry, nagging, bitterness, unkindness, clamor, anger, wrath. The few seeds of joy, kindness, love, gentleness, meekness that have been planted have been choked by the weeds and thistles of this world.
It is time for me to stop being a puny mother and begin to sow bountifully the fruit of God. This goes right along with verse 7, "Every man according as he has purposed in his heart, so let him give..." God has told me to choose whether I want to sow sparingly or bountifully and then to give of my time and strength according to my choice. This sounds very daunting to an already tired and overwhelmed mom who is frequently incapacitated by fear and the seemingly unending and unrewarding tasks at hand, but verse 8 tells me how I will do it. "And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work:" God is sufficient and will make me to abound in every good work that He has called me to. That is energizing inspiration for a weary mom!
God, my loving and gracious Father, forgive me for sparingly sowing into my family and for attempting to bring forth a harvest of my own strength. I purpose to sow bountifully into my family with all the resources you have given me. I will depend upon you for the sufficiency to abound in these good works that you have called me to. Set my eyes on you and let me persevere, forgetting what is behind and pushing on to what is ahead. Thank you for you grace and forgiveness.
