Day 7: Yes, We can!

Bible reading: Galatians 6

I remember those secondary school debates we engaged in as students arguing on different topics. One of the popular ones was whether or not a teacher is better than a farmer. One of the famous lines for those who supported farmers was always, “Without a farmer, we cannot have food to eat.” True, right? With the help of farmers and the law of sowing and reaping, seeds can be planted and there can be reproduction and increase.

It’s interesting to know that seeds are very powerful when they are sown. But what’s more interesting? We are actually all farmers! We all sow seeds everyday through our thoughts, words, actions, habits and both good seeds and bad seeds have the ability to produce harvest of their kinds.

Galatians 6:7 reminds us that whichever of these two we plant is what we will harvest:

Make no mistake about it, God will never be mocked! For what you plant will always be the very thing you harvest. Gal. 6:7 (TPT)

Right seeds have the ability to produce the right harvest because a seed will always bring forth fruits of its kind. So, if we look forward to a harvest of long life, prosperity, health and peace, we must be sowing the right seeds.

Right seeds also have ripple effects. Right thoughts will birth right actions/decisions which in turn will birth a right life. So, our consistency and deliberateness in sowing the right seeds will have ripple effects on other areas of our lives and even generations to come.

In our reading today, we can see the heart of Apostle Paul as he encourages us to sow some right seeds throughout the chapter.

Sow seeds of love and kindness to a believer overtaken with a fault.

My beloved friends, if you see a believer who is overtaken with a fault, may the one who overflows with the Spirit seek to restore him. Win him over with gentle words, which will open his heart to you and will keep you from exalting yourself over him. Galatians 6:1 (TPT)

Paul encourages us to have a heartitude of genuine love for our brother who is overtaken with a fault and be willing to restore him back instead of mocking him or judging him. I believe Jesus clearly demonstrates this example when Peter denied Him and He expects us to do the same for a fellow believer. May we never be too big for a responsibility that Jesus will gladly embrace (Galatians 6:3)

Sow seeds of devotion and excellence in whatever you do. (Galatians 6:4)

Again, we find Apostle Paul encouraging us to have a heartitude of giving our best to whatever God has placed in our hands, whether our work, family, business, ministry and not compare ourselves to others in this Jesus journey. Excellence in whatever we do is a service to God. We can’t afford to be mediocres.

Sow seeds of generosity.(Galatians 6:6, 10)

Take advantage of every opportunity to be a blessing to others, especially to our brothers and sisters in the family of faith! Galatians 6:10 (TPT)

Can you literally hear Paul saying that generosity is an opportunity that we should take advantage of? We should always have a heartitude that sees generosity as an advantage to be a blessing to our teachers (Vs. 6), to everyone of the household of faith (Vs. 10), to ultimately partner with God and be a blessing on the earth. We shouldn’t allow such a huge opportunity slip out of our hands!

Sow seeds to the spirit and not to the flesh(Galatians 6:8)

Paul encourages us one more time to keep sowing seeds that build up our spirit rather than seeds that make us vulnerable to the flesh. If we think about it, the choices and effects are always obvious: reading our bibles, praying, being active in godly communities, setting structures and so on, will strengthen our spirits  as against viewing pornographic materials, partying and being in the wrong company. We have to deliberately choose the seeds that we sow.

As we round off our exciting journey to The Galatians today, we are reminded that the essence of sowing the seeds should be in doing what’s right and not merely in search of affirmation from others:

…and their joy will be in doing what’s right and being themselves, and not in being affirmed by others. Galatians 6:4b (TPT).

A right heart first matters to God before the right seeds, hands or actions. So, we aren’t sowing seeds of kindness, love, generousity or devotion just to be affirmed by others.

But you know what friends? We have been empowered for this! This is not a calling to our own striving; it’s a calling to trust in God’s grace!

My only boast is in the crucifixion of the Lord Jesus, our Messiah. In him I have been crucified to this natural realm; and the natural realm is dead to me and no longer dominates my life. (Galatians 6:14)

Yes! We can do it! The natural realm no longer dominates our lives! Jesus lives in us. We can be loving and kind! We can be generous! We can be devoted and given to excellence! We can be full of the spirit because God has given us His spirit!

Would you make it a fresh resolve to be trusting in God’s grace and to be sowing the right seeds along ttÿyour journey? Yes, you can!

Something to pray:Finally my beloved ones, May the wonderful grace of our Lord Jesus, the Anointed One, be flowing in your spirit. So shall it be! Amen. Gal. 6:18 (TPT)

 

 Mr. & Mrs Aluko
The Alukos serve as Volunteer leaders at Sycamore