Sow a little, reap a lot

Don't judge each day by the harvest you reap, but by the seeds that you plant.

(Robert Louis Stevenson)

Wouldn't it be good if we all thought a whole lot less about what it is we will gain from something we are doing and a whole lot more about what others may reap in return? What is the purpose of a seed? Isn't it to produce more growth? We sow one seed, but we harvest a much larger return than just one seed. The farmer who sows wheat seed is not hoping for the return of one grain of wheat - he is hoping for the return to be multiplied. We sometimes think we sow to reap, but I would like us to think differently today - we sow so others may reap from what we have sown. I know we won't always reap the return we hoped for, but that doesn't mean we stop sowing those seeds!

Live and work without pride. Be gentle and kind. Do not be hard on others. Let love keep you from doing that. (Ephesians 4:2)

Live and work without pride. The seeds of pride are sometimes sown without us even being aware we are sowing them, aren't they? We get all 'uppity' in our approach to something because we think we have a better way of doing it and we alienate others when we do. Then we wonder why they don't approach us with their ideas or offer to help us when we need their assistance. It is likely that they are turned off by the seeds we have sown! Live and work without pride - easier said than exemplified, isn't it? Pride has a way of rising up within us as is evident in this thing we call 'comparison'. We 'compare' what we believe should happen to what is happening and then we come to a conclusion that it isn't 'up to our standards'. It could be we even 'compare' the worth of an individual by the 'standards' we imagine they should measure up to, isn't it? We have to learn to shut down this 'comparison' mode inside of each of us if we are to move through life without pride getting in the way.

Be gentle and kind. I think this is a natural outcome of dealing with our pride first. It is no accident that our passage points us toward dealing with our pride FIRST, then toward living with gentleness and kindness. Gentle people are not given to prideful comparisons. Kind individuals are free to extend all manner of kindness because their desire to be noticed is not the most important thing to them. There is a genuine concern for others and it comes forth in gentle responses, kind actions, and moderate temperament. None of these are exemplified when pride is at the core of all we do or say. 

Do not be hard on others. Another good reminder of the importance of sowing the right kind of seeds to reap the right kind of harvest. If you are hard on yourself, that is one thing. To be hard on another is to make life miserable for them. I don't recommend either, though. I am probably the hardest on myself - constantly doing a little introspection, evaluating my 'performance', and the coming to the conclusion of 'measuring up' to whatever standard I have set for myself. While this is good to an extent, it can be carried to an extreme - hence we need to deal with the pride issue first. Let love keep us from being hard on others, as well as ourselves. 

Love is not a 'thing' - it is a person - Christ Jesus. We move away from prideful attitudes and actions "in Christ Jesus". We move into loving, gentle, and kind actions "in Christ Jesus". We stop being ridiculously hard on ourselves because our standard of measurement is not what we see, but what God sees when he looks at Christ in us. Just sayin!

On the hunt...

William Gladstone reminds us, "Be happy with what you have and are, be generous with both, and you won't have to hunt for happiness." I think we spend a great deal of time 'hunting' for what will make us happy in life and totally miss the stuff right there in front of us that actually has the greatest potential to not only create a sense of happiness in life, but of reward and a sense of well-being. Hunt not for what will be the next thing to make you 'happy', but for the truth that will make your life deeper and more rewarding!

Whoever goes hunting for what is right and kind finds life itself—glorious life! (Proverbs 21:21 MSG)

Hunt for what is right and kind - hunt for Christ and the truth he brings into any life when he enters it with his power and peace. Power and peace seem like opposite words, but to be clear here, where there is great power, there is bound to come great peace. We need more of Christ displayed in our lives - it isn't that we need more of Christ. We already have all we need in him, but we don't always see his power and peace displayed in our conduct. What we need is for our conduct to be conformed to his presence!

Gladstone was the one to remind us it was the duty of government to make it difficult for us to do wrong, but easy to do right. This is the very essence of what scripture teaches us about the 'government' of Christ in our lives. Where he is allowed to rule with full authority, there is an 'ease' that comes in doing right and a sense of 'unease' that comes with doing what is wrong. God's presence actually acts as a 'governor' over our lives - helping us choose what is right and kind, so that we will always find reward and a sense of well-being in our actions.

We don't always allow God to govern our lives, though. There are times we 'unhook from' the governor, allowing free-reign of our emotions, will, and thoughts. When we aren't governed, we are living without restraint and this is a dangerous place to find ourselves. Regardless of how much we resist 'governance', we ALL need it more than we might want to acknowledge! We all need help making the right choices so that we are consistently 'on the hunt' for what is right and kind in life. Just sayin!

A liberal God

I have always marveled at King David's absolute trust in God's love and his repeated faithfulness to turn to God when he was in a place of trial or trouble. David is attributed the "compliment" in Scripture of being a man after God's own heart. I daresay that there is no higher "compliment" or "attribute of acclaim" that carries such importance as that one! David sums up his trust for God in this one statement of truth - God delivers...he makes good. These two key understandings on David's part are what hold him together in tough times - times of trouble and trial. He has come to experience the generosity of a God that gives out of a heart without "strings attached". David is aware that God has both a "readiness" to his giving and a "liberality" in that giving.

God delivers generous love, he makes good on his word. (Psalm 57:3)

He is ready to give - even before the words are spoken from our lips that acknowledge the need we have. God stands read to meet the need, even though it can take a while for us to muster up the 'nerve' to make the need known. David often recounted the various aspects of God's care for his life. There had been "hurricane" experiences - enemies galore, manipulating relationships, untrustworthy alliances, and treacherous treks across regions he would have rather left unexplored. In each circumstance, he has experienced the generous "readiness" of God to rescue, promote, heal, and provide - regardless of David's need, he was there each and every time.

God is very liberal in his giving - there is no "half-way" with God. We see proof that he goes all the way in his love - even to the sacrifice of his own Son. We don't always understand that kind of liberality in love - it is foreign to most of us. We are the "I will love you, but with strings attached" kind of people - you scratch my back, I'll scratch yours is our mode of loving. God is just the opposite in his love - his is a love that says, "You sin, I'll redeem". You turn your back, I'll still be there. You fail, I'll rescue.

David stood in a place of trust - aware of the goodness of his Redeemer. He stood in a place of awe - amazed at the consistency of the great I AM. He relishes the place of safety - knowing that God's banner of love covered his life at every turn. Two things about God stood out to David repeatedly as he reflects them in his writing - he generously loves, and and always makes good on his word. If we want to have a heart after God's - then we'd do well to learn these things, too. Just sayin!

And the hunt is on!

William Maxwell once said, "If you turn the imagination loose like a hunting dog, it will often return with the bird in its mouth."  I wonder what would happen if we turned our spirit loose like a "hunting dog"?  Would we return with blessings like power, peace, and purpose?  Well, I think this might just be the case!  We often bridle our spirits, keeping them from expanding into territory we think only the "worthy" can trod.  Guess what?  You ARE the worthy!  You may not be convinced of that yet, but trust me, scripture declares those who have put their trust in Christ as their Savior, confessing their sins, and taking his grace freely as "worthy"!

Whoever goes hunting for what is right and kind finds life itself—glorious life! (Proverbs 21:21 MSG)

To hunt is to go searching for with the desire to catch.  There is the idea of searching and seeking - not for the "sport" of it - but because there is something to be obtained.  There are times when we treat the pursuit of the things God has for us as though they were "sport" - just a pleasant pastime.  The hunt is on, friend - will you be part of it?

Our passage today proclaims two thing we are to "hunt" for so as to obtain - what is right and what is kind.  Now, both of these can easily deal with relationship - what is right and kind to do for another, to another, with another.  They can also deal with how we conduct our business affairs - what is right practice or kindness in service.  They also can deal with how it is we treat ourselves - what is right for us to do with our bodies, minds, and spirits.

What is right?  There are probably as many definitions of what is "right" as there are people in this world.  We form our ideals as we age - exposing ourselves to various teachings, experiences, etc.  In time, we come to define certain practices as "right".  The problem with using this kind of a definition comes in the "flexibility" of the circumstances which may "influence" what we believe to be right.  The only true source of defining what is "right" - in relationship, business, or our own personal life - is in the scripture.  It is within those pages we find what is "good", "proper", and "just".  God's character doesn't allow for the inconsistencies of circumstance defining these for him - his definition will always be "spot on".

What is kind?  We usually equate kindness to compassion, consideration, or courtesy.  Kindness is a way of life - not easily influenced by the circumstances life sends our way.  Believe it or not, kindness is the outcome of pursuing what is right.  You cannot operate in a realm of kindness without first setting your heart to do what is right.  

The very next verse in this proverb refers to the "sage" - One sage entered a whole city of armed soldiers—their trusted defenses fell to pieces!  (vs. 22)   What is a sage?  Is it not someone who possess wisdom, judgment and experience?  It is a prudent person.  The "starting point" for all wisdom is found in pursuing what is right.  The "end point" of wisdom is doing what is kind.  One is the action of the will, the other is the outflow of the heart.

No amount of "armor" can present a defense against one "armed" with the pursuit of what is right and kind.  In fact, it is "undone" in the face of righteousness and kindness.  The toughest defenses can be laid low when we begin to yield our spirits to God and take up the "hunt" for what he declares to be good, right, and just for our lives.  Just sayin!