“Don’t be misled . . you will always reap what you sow.” Galatians 6:7 NLT
“Choose well and wisely what you want to reap before you sow, not after.”
My thoughts and comments today are that “choices have consequence.”
Life presents you with choices; choices have consequence. Your choices determine either reward or loss; they always affect you and sometimes include others, whether intentionally or not. It is this simple. Do what is right and wise and reward comes your way, as well as blessing upon others. Choices from selfish insistence can have collateral damage beyond what you anticipate. The moral of this principle is: choose carefully and prayerfully, making corrections quickly when needed.
Wrong choices will be made, some out of ignorance and some of stubborn self-will. When you make a wrong decision and recognize it as such, correct your decision as quickly and honestly as you can. Doing so minimizes the effect and reduces the reach of an unwise choice.
The Bible teaches a “law of reaping and sowing” that is as old as creation. When God created the world, He established a principle that “seeds will produce the kinds of plants and trees from which they came. And so it was . .their seeds produced plants and trees of like kind. And God saw that it was good.” Genesis 1:11-12 NLT. An apple seed will produce an apple, which reliably will reproduce apple seeds! Choose well and wisely what you want to reap before you sow, not after. All the hope or regret in the world will not change the result from the seed you choose to plant. Seeds when sown can only produce what is their nature to produce, nothing more, nothing less!
Wrong choices result in negative consequences; Godly choices create positive results. “Those who live only to satisfy their own sinful desires will harvest the consequences of decay and death. But those who live to please the Spirit will harvest everlasting life from the Spirit. So don’t get tired of doing good.” Galatians 6:8-9 NLT. God as faithfully rewards righteousness for “those who live to please the Spirit,” as He punishes unrighteousness justly for “those who live to satisfy sinful desires.”
The Bible warns, “Don’t be misled. Remember that you can’t ignore God and get away with it. You will always reap what you sow . . don’t get discouraged and give up, for we will reap a harvest of blessing at the appropriate time.” Galatians 6:7/9-10 NLT. This principle is not only with negative effect; it will work powerfully for you with positive force.
When I was young, I was warned about the foolishness of “sowing wild oats,” and the folly of then “praying for a crop failure.” Have you ever done that? You knew you shouldn’t, but you did anyway. In doing so, some folk, both young and old, have had to learn the hard way. Justice delayed is never wrong indulged nor right forgotten. Solomon learned from the pain of such an experience, writing, “Because the sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily, therefore the heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil.” Ecclesiastes 8:11 NKJV. When the inevitable occurs, every person hopes to avert the reality.
Be encouraged; sin and wrong do not have to be fatal unless you allow them to become final. Sometimes people are too late smart, as was Esau who “found no place for repentance, though he sought it diligently with tears.” Read Hebrews 12:14-17 NKJV. However, there is grace and forgiveness, “For all have sinned; all fall short of God’s glorious standard . . The Lord is patient with you, not wanting any to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.” Read Romans 3:23-26 NLT/2 Peter 3:9-14 NIV.
My prayer for you today is that you remedy wrongs by sincere repentance, confession, and real change.