Galatians 6:7-10
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. 9 Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. 10 Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.
Colossians
27 To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.
Reflection
“You reap what you sow!” Maybe you have heard this saying before. Parents, teachers, and others use it a lot. It comes from this passage written by the apostle Paul: “A man reaps what he sows”—and Paul drew it from other ancient wisdom (see Proverbs 22:8; Hosea 10:12-13). Life’s circumstances often prove the warning true.
Our great hope, Paul writes in Colossians, is “Christ in you, the hope of glory.” Remember, Jesus was called Immanuel (“God with us”—see Isaiah 7:14; Matthew 1:23). And eventually the Holy Spirit came to live in the hearts of all believers (Acts 2). This means God is recreating his image in us.
This calls for our cooperation. As the farmer must sow seeds, pull weeds, and fertilise and water his plantings to reap a harvest, so we must cooperate with the Spirit to grow the good fruit of Christlike living. Sowing to please the Spirit means our work is done out of love for God and our neighbours (Mark 12:30-31), love for one another (John 13:34-35), and even love for our enemies (Luke 6:35).
The Holy Spirit’s guarding, guiding, inspiring, and working within us bears fruit that pleases God. We just need to learn how to sow and tend his crops. Spiritual discipline practiced every day will grow a great harvest of good in us that will please our Lord. Are you ready to sow with God?
Lord God, how can we ever please you? By the power of Christ and your Spirit, help us tend to the good we’re called to do. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
God of all mercies, it is easy to grow tired of doing good, of sowing the seeds of mercy and life, but you give strength to the weary and increase the power of the weak. We come to you in worship and ask for help to carry on. Amen.
Father God, we gather to worship you; to sing your praises, to reflect on our lives, to speak with you in prayer and to ponder your Word.
We meet in the name of Christ, to understand better your dying love, to sense the whisper of your Spirit, and to learn how to do your will.
Spirit of God, we open our minds to you, ready to hear you inspiring, challenging and reproving us.
As we have come together in this place, a group of your disciples, we believe that you are with us. Amen.
We pray for every person who is sowing the seed of God’s kingdom here on earth:
– those working to bring renewal and transformation in their local communities…
– those struggling to bring justice to the powerless and give a voice to the weak…
– those striving for peace and reconciliation between people who are at loggerheads…
– those who lovingly attempt to correct people’s mistakes and set them on a better path…
– those seeking to bring people from the darkness of despair into the light of hope…
– those telling the story of Jesus and speaking of faith in him…Lord, their tasks are difficult and may be painful or unrewarding. Give them the wisdom, patience and persistence that they need, we pray. Amen.
A sending out prayer
Let us go out into God’s world, ready to sow diligently the seeds of Christ’s hope, and to hope patiently and prayerfully for his harvest.
May his wisdom constantly guide us, may his love be evident in all we say and do, and may his blessing be upon us always. Amen.
Suggested Listening Colours of day https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_bZPRHIyVBA Jesus, you have shown to us https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BStbvU5gxro Lord for the years https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cd14v0e1RWU
