The principle of reaping and sowing is summed up in Galatians 6:7: “A man reaps what he sows.” Tomato seeds produce tomatoes. Apple seeds produce apples.
When we sow encouragement into others’ lives, we reap encouragement in our own lives. When we sow hope into others’ lives, we reap hope in our own. When we sow finances, we reap a financial harvest in our own lives. There’s always someone who has been through more than you have.
I began to actively look for women who were in great need and I would “sow” into their lives, simultaneously “seeding my own need.” There were single moms living only two or three miles away from me who didn’t know how they were going to feed their children dinner that night. There’s nothing like firsthand experience to give us compassion–I didn’t know how I was going to feed my daughter, Destiny, either, but I did know who my Provider was-my Husband, the Lord God Almighty.
I began taking groceries to the single moms who lived in a subsidized housing development. I told them about the love of Jesus and how He died on the cross for the forgiveness of their sins. I took almost everything in my pantry to the moms in that neighborhood, and every time I did, the Lord would prompt someone to leave a bag of groceries on my front porch! I was seeding my own need, and reaping an awesome harvest for Destiny and myself, and for the kingdom of God.
Hope is an amazing thing! The Word of God says, “Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a longing fulfilled is a tree of life” (Proverbs 13:12). Hope deferred-disappointment-makes our hearts sick but we must focus on the second part of that verse-“A longing fulfilled is a tree of life.” There are many longings that have been fulfilled in our lives, sprouting many trees of life.
I can remember my first few citywide crusades. I rented a big convention center and when attendance was less than I expected, I felt like a failure. The Lord asked me, “Did you do what I told you to do?” I said, “Yes, Lord.” “Then, you were successful. Success is doing what I told you to do.”
The Lord said that if I took the responsibility on myself for having a small crowd, I would later take the glory for having a large crowd. The size of the crowd wasn’t important; it was my obedience that meant everything to the Lord.
