Don’t Give Up

Don’t be misled —you cannot mock the justice of God. You will always harvest what you plant. Those who live only to satisfy their own sinful nature will harvest decay and death from that sinful nature. But those who live to please the Spirit will harvest everlasting life from the Spirit. So let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up. Galatians 6:7-9

AS PAUL BRINGS his letter to the Galatians to a close, he has a sober warning for them. They can’t expect to “sow” a life of sinful indulgence or coldhearted legalism at odds with the Spirit and “reap” the kind of abundant, unending life that comes from the Spirit. The evidence that they have truly been “crucified with Christ” will be that they will keep on pursuing a life that reflects the purity of Christ in dependence upon the grace of Christ. So along with his warning of harvesting decay and death if they live to please themselves comes the promise of harvesting blessing if they live to please the Spirit.

The imagery of sowing and reaping leads us to ask: What is being sown in our children’s lives? Whom are they living to please? How are we doing in both warning them about what they can expect if they live only to satisfy their sinful nature and encouraging them with what they can expect if they live to please the Spirit?

We all need encouragement to keep going and not give up. So when we see our children make a choice to please the Spirit instead of the sinful nature budding within them, we can encourage them to keep going, keep growing, keep enjoying the smile of God on their lives. We can assure them that one day the harvest of blessing will be bountiful, beautiful, and eternal.

Lord, I know how often I want to give up in my own pursuit of a life lived in step with the Spirit and empowered by the Spirit. Sometimes I get tired of doing what is right and good. So help me to give ________ the same encouragement I need to keep sowing seeds of living to please the Spirit. Remind me to keep pointing ________ toward the reward you’ve promised —a harvest of happiness and holiness.