9Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. 10Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers. Galatians 6.9-10We're supposed to be showing concern for each other; being interested in each other; loving each other.
Like growing a rose bush. It takes work, and effort, and time, and attention and love, but then it grows and - at harvest, if you will - it blossoms and blooms, and it is such a gift! I've heard so many sermons and been part of discussion groups and read devotions recently, all somehow incorporating this idea of sowing and waiting and reaping (hopefully) a good harvest. I guess that's not that bizarre given that many churches celebrate harvest around this time of year, but still, it's kind of made me want to start trying to grow something! I feel like I don't fully understand this concept, or know the feeling of planting something small, tending something delicate, and tentatively watching and waiting until the harvest comes - a metaphor so commonly used in the Bible. Also, having never planted and grown something, I'm not sure I fully comprehend the beauty of something growing up and producing fruit (or flowers) that just weren't there before. The way the planter does not simply preserve what they have, but puts it out there - vulnerably, cautiously, carefully - in order to let it grow and produce new things. It takes me back to an earlier post about pouring out all we have with reckless abandon; this is a different kind of outpouring, and yet it seems to me that it would take just as much courage and faith in God. And then there's the other aspect to this activity: the waiting. And the way that the seed-planting part of it, presumably doesn't take that much work. It could be tiny little things, that we do - sometimes - without even noticing. And just as the plant itself goes through a stage of hidden preparation, so too does the one planting. I imagine, if I do undertake to grow something, that planting the seed will be the easy part. Besides that I need to learn how to look after a plant, when to plant it, how to notice signs of growth or decay, how to prepare for when "harvest" will finally come! And it's the same in our spiritual lives; as we plant seemingly small seeds of love and interest and concern for one another, we also have to learn to walk in compassion, and just like anything, taking baby-steps at first. But planting is intentional. Do we intentionally sow good things; tend them and care for them; and see them grow into something new and wonderful? Who and what are you investing in? When do you spend time with God to enable him to grow you in that time of hidden preparation? Seek God's heart; for in God new things will grow.
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AuthorI'm a recent Cambridge Theology graduate now studying for a Masters in Biblical Studies and blogging about all sorts of things! I'm interested in faith, Church, theology, social action, the great outdoors and being creative, and all of those things - along with many more - come through in my posts!
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April 2020
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