What caught my attention in particular as he stated this irrevocable fact, was the remarkable ‘spin’ Mark placed on this hardly unique, but rarely if ever heard or considered facet of the stated principle.  The Scriptures are a clear witness to it, but I think we hardly ever hear the emphasis or specific application as clearly as it was presented by Mark.

       Just as sure as the sun rises in the East and sets in the West (and we know that it does, even on those overcast days when the sun never shows), we will always  reap the harvest of what we have sown.  It never fails--even in the midst of the most severe drought--if there is any crop at all, the harvest always reflects the seed that is sown--always.  You can count on it!  We all know this--it is never  in doubt! 

       Mark spoke of an entertainer friend of his who loved to cook after shows in her tour bus, and loving to eat her cooking, he spent many hours listening to her stories.  One evening, she told him about the time she as a child had helped her grandmother plant seeds in the garden.  As they took the individual seeds and gently pushed them into the rich soil, her wise old  ‘Momma’ said, "You know honey, we plant a garden patch every single day in the lives of other people.  We need to plant the seeds of kindness, gentleness, compassion, mercy, longsuffering and faith into the life and heart of every person we meet.  They will grow just as sure, you know, as these little seeds we are putting in this little garden patch here.  And in time, just as sure, the seeds planted in the hearts of those people will bear fruit the same as these seeds here!"

       The passage of Scripture Mark was illustrating with his friend’s story was, Galatians 6:7-8;

"Don’t be misled: No one makes a fool of God. What a person plants, he will harvest. The person who plants selfishness, ignoring the needs of others—ignoring God!--harvests a crop of weeds. All he’ll have to show for his life is weeds!  But the one who plants in response to God, letting God’s Spirit do the growth work in him, harvests a crop of real life, eternal life.  So let’s not allow ourselves to get fatigued doing good.  At the right time we will harvest a good crop if we don’t give up, or quit.  Right now, therefore, every time we get the chance, let us work for the benefit of all . . . . "

       I have had occasion to quote this entire passage of Scripture often in times past during the course of my teaching and preaching.  I have heard others do the very same.  And almost invariably, the first part of the passage--the warning part of sowing to one’s destruction (the word, "corruption" in the KJV speaks to the loss of life and the inevitable decay that accompanies it) seemed to be the primary focus of its application and teaching.  The obsession with self and its life destroying effects were often emphasized--we reap the very same bitterness, pettiness and cynicism that we sow.  This was invariably driven home each time it was taught.  On the other hand, the idea that sowing good deeds  were somehow connected to reaping a harvest of long lasting, even eternal consequences, seemed to usually be offered in a vague, off handed or off-to-the-side manner. And I failed to pick up on that in a deliberately conscious and focused manner.

       The Scriptures, however, in  Galatians chapter 5 and 6 make this clear and distinct connection.  Sowing with the full intention of pleasing the Spirit, means keeping in step with Him as we give Him permission to constantly be involved in our lives with attitudes and activities that express a sense of grace, warmth, compassion, understanding, consideration and kindness toward the people around us.  Intentionally living our lives in such a way with determination and due diligence invariably result in a rich harvest of the very same, ushering us into a permanent state of life before God (see Galatians 5:22-25).  In the next chapter, Paul calls this reaping eternal life from the Spirit.

       Because we can see with our very own eyes the effects of planting, we know (with favorable conditions) what will follow.  Perhaps, as little children in a class room experiment or at home, we have seen tiny seeds we have planted, sprout and turn into small plants that could have or perhaps did  eventually produce pods or some other fruit. The outcome is certain--we have proven it to ourselves!

       And yet . . . somehow we question the outcome when it comes to the less visible realities that every one of us is immersed in.  We sow to the flesh--that is, live selfishly for ourselves, ignoring the obvious needs of others and hope we can avoid the inevitable consequences of degradation, despair and the destructive results of a death inducing end which will come.  It is inevitable!

       By the same token, we doubt the far reaching and long lasting effects of a life constantly lived seeking to keep in step with God’s Holy Spirit--a life that desires very much to consistently please God.  Because the effects of this kind of planting is not immediate or obviously apparent, it necessitates a bit more than a dogged determination to see this process through.  It involves an abiding trust in taking a chance that our God knows exactly what He’s talking about when He urges us to sow to the Spirit honoring Him and blessing ourselves in the process.

        As I pen these words, the thought comes to mind of Mark Lowry’s powerfully profound  message, and somehow what I write here seems so much less compelling than his--what he said was so concise, forthright and rang so clear and true on that occasion.  It was a wonderfully true message and I believe what I have written here is just as true, blending well with what he had to say.  Perhaps part of it is due to the absence of the adrenaline rush of that moment among a boisterous enthusiastic crowd who loved everything Mark Lowry was saying and doing that evening.  Anyway, I suspect our Lord in understanding that bursts of adrenaline will not sustain us over the long haul as we struggle to fathom this deeply rich spiritual truth, compelled Paul to reassure the Galatians: "Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up" (Galatians 6:9).

       One truth that can never be escaped--we will always be sowing something  and eventually will reap exactly  what we have sown!                                                                                                                                                      ~LAW~

      I don’t think I have ever been a model employee and this was particularly true during my employment at the bakery factory where I worked for twenty eight years.  However, during that time, I experienced my share of shabby treatment from both my co-workers and supervisors in that place.  Whether I was responsible or not for the many conflicts that I experienced there, my heart was fully determined to resolve the difficulties that I had with the various people in that place.  I was staunchly devoted to the ‘ministry of reconciliation’ (see II Corinthians 5:18-20), the divine mandate to do my very best to get matters settled between myself and others.  I soon found that many of these people had no intention nor any interest whatsoever at restoring our fractured relationships.  There was simply no spiritual desire to do anything about this sad situation.  Rather, they not only preferred  the constant state of conflict, resentment, contempt and bitterness; they promoted  and cultivated   it as well.

      I learned some important lessons during this very difficult period of time as my heart did the unbelievably hard work of incessantly seeking solutions and answers for restoring these shattered connections.  First and foremost, it was simply not going to happen.  My strong commitment to reconciliation was not strong enough. The required cooperation from others was not there and likely would never  be. This realization compelled me to abandon my attempts at resolution.  Reconciliation requires  accountability from everyone involved.  I came to understood that my best efforts to make these people accountable and responsible for their own attitudes and actions was no longer possible.  In their hearts, there was no sense of need or desire for reconciliation and so the only option left open to me was to release  them from these obligations, and forgive them.  And I have.

      I am now forced to accept the extremely slow and painful understanding that the situation at the bakery factory as I was compelled to leave it, is likely very much the same one that I face with the church leaders previously mentioned here.  My commitment to reconciliation has driven me to extreme lengths (they must acknowledge this) in challenging their accountability in this matter.  Over the last couple of years I have gone way out of my way, taking various approaches in order to engage these people to assume an appropriate role in resolving the differences between us.  All to no avail.

      Being the spiritual leaders of a church, one would imagine that there should be an absolute, even eager dedication to the principle of the "ministry of reconciliation" as outlined by the Apostle Paul and demanded by our Lord.  Sadly, I have found this devotion entirely lacking.  There simply seems to be no spiritual desire to get these matters that are causing this deep rift between us finally resolved.

      Spiritual leaders that are just that, spiritual leaders, will always be committed to the principle of reconciliation.  I guess that is why I am so saddened and disappointed to realize that these leaders with whom I have experienced a break in relationship, seem in many ways to be quite like the people in the bakery factory.  They have seemed to have abandoned their spiritual mandate to be committed to the ministry of reconciliation.  I have demanded accountability to both myself and to them, but for whatever reason, they have consistently refused to be held responsible for the admittedly hard work of reconciliation. 

      The work of reconciliation is finished whenever people either finally accept, or  reject the call to accountability.  All that remains is the responsibility to forgive.  And that burden may either be one of joy or great sadness.  Once the work of reconciliation (the attempts to get issues resolved) is finished, whether it succeeds or fails, forgiveness kicks in and the impulse to genuinely forgive is surprisingly abrupt and complete.  For me, the light came on when the work of reconciliation was finished, and the burden carried in my heart for many years had been lifted; I have forgiven these people once and for all, and what a ‘watershed moment’ it has been for me!  By God's grace, I have done the unbelievably difficult--even 'gut-wrenching' work of reconciliation and forgiveness.  And I PRAISE GOD!!