What are you sowing?
Often I see well meaning people struggling. They wonder why there is conflict in their life. Daily I see where if people would just get back to the basics of their faith, life would be so much easier. Why struggle with this person or that person? Why talk bad about the people we find in our lives? Lets take a closer look at one of the 10 simple but direct requirements for a spiritual life.
The ninth commandment: Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor.
Exodus 20:16
Seems pretty simple at first glance. I am not supposed to speak poorly about my neighbor. Really? Do we honestly think this is just a reflection on our neighbor? Perhaps we need to add some other ideas to this. Let’s try this one.
Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.
Galatians 6:7
Now we have gone from a commandment to being reminded not to mock God. Pretty strong language for an idea of how we talk about others and the seeds we sow into their lives. One more verse and I will wrap up today’s thought.
I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live:
Deuteronomy 30:19
Not only is there a record kept but we are told to choose life (blessing of others) and we ourselves and our families will be blessed. So now down to some questions I ask myself on a daily basis. What am I saying about others? Am I speaking life even when I disagree with their behavior? Or I am speaking of strife and disapproval when we disagree? Do I pray for them to see my love and faith in them? Or do I curse them for the way they are or have treated me wrongly somehow?
I get the answers to those questions easily in the way life is working or not working for me. Do I see these things in my life: Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Faithfulness? These are the fruits of living a life filled with the Spirit of God in the things I do. Nowhere on that list do I see anger, pain, anxiousness, un-forgiveness, anxiousness, hatred or lack of faith in some one.
I overcome my negative emotions by going to the Spirit and asking myself what God sees in them. I bridle my tongue by asking myself if what I am about to say about or to someone is what I want to see in them or is is speaking against them. I am either speaking life or death. I choose life.
I see well meaning people speaking correction into their children and grandchildren with harsh words and loud voices and I think to myself, Couldn’t it work better to speak life and re-enforce the good things you see? Something like “When you are (insert something good they do) this way, I love the person I see in you.”
Today’s challenge: Watch the way you think and speak about or to others in your life today. Are you speaking life? Are you holding your thoughts captive long enough? Are you seeing and speaking good things over their lives? Check it out today. Perhaps you will see something you could be doing different. Perhaps you will see how you can speak healing into your family and friends and their relationships with you. For if life is not working out the way you would like to see it working, it could just be the way you are living it.
Be blessed and be a blessing to someone!
Rick
