Sowing and Reaping by Dr. Robb Thompson
Sowing and reaping are the governors of destiny. The landscape of history is littered with the decayed remnants of once powerful nations that were destroyed, not by some ruthless invader but by the hand of their own choices. As the ancient Roman Empire rose to greatness, its leaders reveled and romped in unparalleled power and prosperity. They no doubt expected their superiority and influence to continue for centuries. Yet, even as they basked in their wealth, they were sowing seeds that would culminate in their ruin. Leaders began to hoard and misuse the wealth while the common people fought hunger and unemployment. People discarded their moral values and self-respect. Growing numbers believed that breaking the law was justified as long as it "helped" them. This "end-justifies-the-means" mentality opened the door for even more lawlessness. And so historians record "The Rise and Fall of the Roman Empire."
Here is a similar, modern-day example. On January 22, 1973, the U.S. Supreme Court legalized unrestricted abortion in America. Immediately, thousands of babies began to be aborted. Since that landmark decision, there have been more than 49 million abortions performed in the United States. The number of babies that are annually aborted is now more than 1.37 million in the USA and 46 million globally. Those babies who were aborted in 1973 would be almost forty years old today.
In the United States, there is presently a national outcry about the fact that the Social Security system is in trouble. But think about all the lost revenue that would have been deposited into Social Security by the millions who have been aborted since the early 1970's. The very people who passed the law to kill unborn children will not be taken care of in their old age, largely as a result of that decision!
Make no mistake, friend — the Law of Sowing and Reaping is supreme in the universe. We must never fool ourselves into believing that we can escape the harvest from the careless seeds that we have sown.
But what about an example of someone who chose to sow the right seed? Let's consider the life of Peter Daniels, a rags-to-riches international businessman and statesman from Australia. Born into a poor family, in the midst of the Great Depression of the 1930's, Peter was familiar with the harsh, cold realities of poverty. As an illiterate, impoverished bricklayer, he began to sow what he could into those around him. Never withholding the little that he had, Peter sowed precious seeds of compassion, time and generosity, which held a future harvest beyond anything that he could imagine or dream.
Though failing in business a number of times, he started to gain financial momentum as he continued to sow into the lives of others. Doors of favor began to open; eventually, this unlearned bricklayer became a sought-after entrepreneur, business consultant, motivational speaker and multi-millionaire.
Though his conditions and surroundings have changed immensely since those poor days as a bricklayer, two distinct threads run consistently through the rich tapestry of his life — his impeccable integrity and his prolific generosity. Though now approaching his eighties, he still travels the world, conducting high-profile business seminars and training young entrepreneurs. These meetings are often free of charge, with Mr. Daniels financially providing the whole program, the follow-up meal, his own travel expenses and donating any funds raised.
Those who have had the incredible honor of sowing their precious seed into this honorable man have seen their
lives exponentially increased as a result. When we sow into the field of an upright man, we don't even have to know what we're doing. We'll come out on top because he knows what he is doing!
My friend, we only get out of life what we are willing to put into it. The earth is programmed to bring forth a multiplication of what we sow. People or circumstances may try to stand in our way, but nothing can stop our harvest from coming forth. All we have to do is put our seed in the ground and leave it there, no matter what winds of adversity blow against us. As we do, this Law of Sowing and Reaping will work — not part of the time but all the time.
The problem is that we live in a microwave society in which people expect instant answers. Too often we wonder, waver and ultimately pull our good seed out of the ground because things aren't happening as quickly as we think they should. As a result, we stand in danger of canceling out our moment of change!
It is imperative to realize that it is our character which causes the recompense of our hands to come to us. If our character is good, then good will come into our lives from the good deposit we have made. If our character is bad, that toxicity will bring forth destruction in our lives as a function of the Law of Sowing and Reaping. We may think that we can disregard this law and, somehow, still be successful. But how can we expect to reap a harvest of favor and success from seed we have never sown? There isn't a farmer in the world who believes he can reap a harvest where he has never sown a seed!
Pursuing excellent character always begins with a decision. We must choose how long we are willing to stand. Are we willing to live, for the rest of our lives, under the pressure that comes from holding fast to what is right and true? If so, the door of an unlimited, positive future will remain open. Yes, we will face many difficult obstacles. But even in the midst of adversity, we will continue to rise to ever-higher levels of excellence and favor, as long as we do not stop sowing the right seed.
Let's determine that we will be people of upright character, no matter what anyone else says or does. When things get hard, we will choose to stand on godly principles, rather than throw in the towel and give up.
A person's good character will not allow him to be denied. It will compel people to deal with him. When he walks into a room, some will think, "Why does this person irritate me so?" They won't be irritated because he has done something wrong. They will be irritated because he is a person who does what is right. We must be more interested in building our own good character than we are in exposing the lack of character in others. Let's give others the liberty to straighten out their own lives while we evaluate our condition.
We should each carefully examine who we are, as well as what we think, do and say in our daily lives, allowing the inner searchlight of our conscience to reveal any areas of needed adjustments. As we do, a day will come when the seeds of character we have chosen to sow will produce an abundant harvest of honor and benefit in our lives, beyond our greatest expectations!
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