Ever heard the saying “What goes around comes around”? There is a truth in that statement.  It is actually a universal law set in motion at the beginning of time.  Most people have observed its effects.  Some religions have recognized part of this truth and labeled it Karma.  Jesus talked about it in agricultural terms.  He calls it Sowing and Reaping.  To learn the whole truth about this vital principle, we must examine the Bible.  When we do, we will find there is more to it than simply getting back what you give out.

Because God’s ways are laws of nature, they apply to everyone equally. Just like God, they show no partiality. No matter what religion, those who live by them will receive their benefits.

The law of sowing and reaping is clearly laid out for us in the Bible. Second Corinthians 9:6, “But this I say: He who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully.” There it is in black and white! If we want blessings, then we must give blessings.

Ok, let’s get more specific. Do you want more money? Then you need to give more money. Do you want kindness from those you meet? Then give kindness to those who meet you. Do you want help in time of need? Then help those who are now going through hard times. Do you want grace and acceptance from those you know? Then you need to give grace and acceptance to those who offend and irritate and frustrate you.

As I considered this principle, a certain question began to puzzle me. Although God had raised up a desire within me to give, I did not have the resources to give like I wanted.  How could I sow good seed if I couldn’t afford the seed in the first place?

God answered me with II Corinthians 9:10-11, “Now may He who supplies seed to the sower …”  Let’s pause there. It says that God will Himself supply the seed for those who want to sow it. Not only does He reward those who sow, but He supplies the seed in the first place!

God spoke to me and said, “If you really want to sow, ask Me to show you your seed.”  As I listened to the Holy Spirit, He began to show me things around my home, saying, “Take that and give it to this person. Those, give them there.  This over here, bless someone else with it.” Sometimes I protested, “But God, are You sure You want me to give that away, it was a wedding gift and it is one of my favorite things?!” But as God directed and I gave, room was made in my life for God’s giving toward me to increase as well.

Before I make it sound like we should give just to get, remember that Jesus said, “It is more blessed to give than to receive,” (Acts 20:35). God is not only interested in what we give but the attitude we do it with.  II Corinthians 9:7, “So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver.”

You see, sowing involves both the attitude and the action. God wants, as in all things, a heart that is right. He is pleased with a heart that is turned toward Him, doing His work, walking in His ways.

God told Abraham that He would bless him and make him a blessing (Genesis 12:2), and God wants to do that for us too, if we will let Him. But Satan likes to use our own reasoning and emotions to hinder our giving. For example, when God tells me to give away something that I don’t particularly want to give, if I think about it long enough I can talk myself out of it. My reasoning, of course, is that it doesn’t make sense to me and therefore cannot be God. 

Or, how about when I give something nice to someone and they don’t even say thank you.  My flesh rears up and says, “Well, that is the last time I give something nice to you!”  But it is at these times that my motives must be right. If I am sowing my seed as unto God (in obedience to Him and waiting for His reward), then what I think or how I feel doesn’t really matter.

One of my favorite passages on sowing is Ecclesiastes 11:4-6.

     “He who observes the wind will not sow, and he who regards the clouds will not reap.  As you do not know what is the way of the wind, or how the bones grow in the womb of her who is with child, so you do not know the works of God who makes all things.  In the morning sow your seed, and in the evening do not withhold your hand; for you do not know which will prosper, either this or that, or whether both alike will be good.”

How many times do we abandon our seed because the timing is not right, for us or for them? How long will we let our own reasoning and emotions stand in the way of obedience and blessing? We do not know God’s ways but we do know that He tells us to sow the seed that He supplies, and He will bring a harvest.

“Now may He who supplies seed to the sower, and bread for food, supply and multiply the seed you have sown and increase the fruits of your righteousness, while you are enriched in everything for all liberality, which causes thanksgiving through us to God.”

                                                                                                 II Corinthians 9:10-11

 All scripture references taken from the New King James Version copyright 1983 by Thomas Nelson Publishers, Inc.