"The Law of the Harvest"

Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. The one who sows to please his sinful nature, from that nature will reap destruction; the one who sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life. 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 6:7-9 NIV).

Kyle and I are coaching soccer this year. As a result, I’ve been thinking about some principles to help both the players and their parents. Those principles spill over into all of our lives as parents. One of the most damaging choices a person can make is to give up too soon when faced with a failure. There are many reasons, but the truth is that discouragement often hinders their spiritual growth and potential. There are some biblical principles parents can apply when helping a child overcome failure and explore their potential. Our reading today explains it in what has come to be known as The Law of the Harvest.

Paul used the analogy of planting to explain the principle of spiritual growth. He encouraged his readers to sow into the things of God, with the promise they would reap the things of God. In the life of a Christian we sow into God by how we think, speak, our actions, where we spend our money, and our time. These are investments in a God-honoring life, which reaps a harvest of blessing – but not always in the same season. There is often a delay between sowing and reaping.

So the key is to consider our children's hearts and lives as a garden. Every day we sow into those "gardens" through our words, behavior, and the disciplines we teach them. However, just like a vegetable garden, if we plant carrot seeds, we will reap carrots – not corn. Consequently, if we sow negative seeds of discouragement, we will reap discouragement. If we sow seeds of impatience, we will reap frustration. Conversely, if we sow healthy seeds of good choices, we will reap self-discipline. If we sow seeds of patience, we will reap peace. If we sow seeds of perseverance, we will reap success.

Our children's hearts are rich soil prepared by God to receive good seed. As conscientious gardeners, we need to plant those that will reap a harvest in our children's lives and prepare them for service in the kingdom of God. God designed our children to grow and flourish with love and care. However, failure can be the weeds in our children's lives. Weeds don't destroy the good seed; they just leech the nutrients out of the soil limiting the growth of the plant. Failure doesn't destroy our children's potential; it just removes the enthusiasm from their hearts. In order to overcome the pain and heartache of failure, children need a parent who will step in with fresh water and bright sunlight, while replacing the weeds with healthy seed. Then in time, our children will produce a harvest of confidence. That’s a promise from God!