Choices

Choices

Don’t be misled. Remember that you can’t ignore God and get away with it. You will always reap what you sow! Those who live only to satisfy their own sinful desires will harvest the consequences of decay and death. But those who live to please the Spirit will harvest everlasting life from the Spirit. So don’t get tired of doing what is good. Don’t get discouraged and give up, for we will reap a harvest of blessing at the appropriate time.

Galatians 6:7-9

Ben looked out the window at the garden. It looked different than it did last summer, but he wasn’t sure why. He saw some large, vine-like plants spreading across the garden. They were something like the ones they had grown last year. But there seemed to be a difference.

“Mother,” Ben asked, turning, “are those pumpkins growing in our garden?”

“No, Ben,” she said, “they’re watermelons.”

“Watermelons?” Ben said in astonishment. “Where are the pumpkins?”

“We aren’t having pumpkins this year.”

“Why not?”

“Because we planted watermelons.”

Ben looked disappointed. “But I wanted pumpkins. And now I can’t ever have pumpkins.” He started to cry.

Mary wiped away her small son’s tears. “Yes, you can, Ben. If you like pumpkins, we’ll plant them for you next year. Because each time you plant, you can grow a new harvest.”^a

Just as we reap what we sow in our gardens, we also reap what we sow in our souls. What joy to experience the harvest of a crop well-sown, but how sad to experience the loss and destruction of crops sown with bad seed.

If we’re discouraged by our poor choices that have brought negative consequences, we don’t need to despair. If we turn to God, repent, and with his help make choices to please him, new crops will grow, and we will experience new hope and joy.

God,

We want to honor you with good choices, not mock you with poor choices. Please strengthen us to stand firm and sow seeds that will have eternal value. Amen.