(7)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-(8) 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.
I have been thinking about this verse because the way it starts. I keep wondering who would be stupid enough to try and make God look like a fool... but then He started talking to me :)
If you take a word from the Lord and use it in ANY other way then with pure love (even if you have "good intentions") that's what it is. Then you are hiding your manipulative heart behind "God's Word" and that just looks stupid but it doesn't make God look that way, it makes the sower look that way. For example, if you try and use God's word to tell someone that they are acting stupid but your heart isn't pure, you end up looking stupid bc everyone knows what is really going on and you've actually just created weeds. This will actually even persuade people to harden their hearts towards God. Hence the reason people get sick of religion. This is also a vain imagination bc you aren't looking at them as God sees them.
If you use the truth of God against someone, it's your life that reaps weeds. In order to use God's word like this, that means you don't understand Him either. Your heart hasn't been softened to Him. God is always Good, always having our hearts in His best interest.
This was some awesome insight! It is what the Lord has been showing me in my heart and then here it is in scripture! I love it!
1- Weeds are quick to multiply and choke out whatever they grow around. That sower will be known for choking people out. And everyone they influences now has to search themselves to see if they have properties in themselves planted by that sower that are actually weeds. They wouldn't even know they did unless they dropped their pride to look inside. The sower of weeds is gonna have such a hard heart and walls built up.
2- The right way to "plant"... is out of a response to what the Goodness of God has done/is doing in the sower. Letting God work in you, and naturally responding with that change. What can you possibly have to offer that hasn't come from God first? You can't give that which you don't have and you don't have anything unless you have God. Wow... pressure is coming off!! :)
The other day I read something that makes a good example of these two sowers:
The first sower used God to show someone else how wrong they were. The heart of the statement was said ruthless with a "You are wrong and you should figure it out and shut up" attitude. This was not love. My heart cringed at it. It wasn't towards me, but if it had been i definitely wouldn't have received it, AND it probably would have helped harden my heart towards the God this person was talking about.
Then I read a post a good friend wrote on his wife's wall. This sower was building her up and saying to her what God says about her. It wasn't to me, but it encouraged me to check my heart to see if my actions lined up with what God says about me, who I REALLY am. I realized I wasn't and repented! My pride jumped up, but I chose not to let it win! It was a conviction or righteousness! I thanked the person because even though it wasn't for me, it helped me! Perfect example!
The first person was growing weeds. The second, harvested good things without even realizing it!
from bondage: I can prove i know God.
To Liberty: Change my heart oh God, make it yours, then the response will be natural and purely You!
No comments:
Post a Comment