Brad was raised in a family that had a farming legacy. His grandfather had a company that raised hybrid seed for corn and other crops. At one point, his grandparents raised 300 acres of Orville Redenbacher popcorn!
His grandfather knew that when he planted oats, he would get oats. When he planted corn seed, he would reap a harvest of corn (or popcorn!). It was a simple law of sowing and reaping.
The Bible has a lot to say about sowing and reaping as well. In his letter to the church in Galatia, the apostle Paul gave this warning: “Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows” (Galatians 6:7). In his letter to the church at Corinth, Paul wrote about sowing and reaping as it relates to our giving. He wrote that if you sow sparingly, you’ll reap sparingly. If you sow generously financially, you’ll reap generously (2 Corinthians 9:6).
This principle of sowing and reaping carries over into marriage as well. Every married person sows something into their marriage. Knowing this principle and living by it will strengthen your connection and increase your protection from the enemy’s attacks.
Here are four things to know about sowing and reaping as it relates to your marriage.
1. You choose what to sow.
It’s up to you. You could choose to sow “weed” seeds into your marriage. Neglect, self-centeredness, anger, impatience, belittling, selfishness – anything like this will ultimately choke your spouse’s vitality. Emotionally, spiritually, physically and relationally, the two of you will never be what God intends if you sow “weed” seeds.
On the other hand, you could choose to sow “love” seeds into your marriage. Tenderness, empathy, compassion, joy, prayer, blessing – anything like this will reap incredible rewards through your years of marriage.
2. You choose how much you sow.
We’ve known men and women who intentionally withheld good things from their spouse. Their fear was that they would end up giving more than they would receive. They thought that their spouse might take advantage of their kindness. This kind of thinking is refusing to trust God with the outcomes. It is making the choice to control rather than contribute.
Make the choice to sow lavishly into your spouse’s life. Love your spouse the way Jesus loves you. Sow generously and consistently with every good thing you can think of into their life.You reap later than you sow.
3. You wait to reap what you sow.
When a farmer sows into his field he never returns the next day to reap the harvest! Every farmer knows that seeds take time to germinate and grow. There is a work that takes place in the silence of the earth that is unseen.
It’s the same way in your marriage. You don’t sow generously into your spouse’s life and expect a response the next day, the next week, or even the next month. Different seeds yield different results at different times. Your role is to simply be a faithful sower. Leave the results up to God.
4. You reap more than you sow.
Have you ever noticed how one or two dandelions can quickly multiply across the yard? It’s the same way in your marriage. You may say only a couple of mean things now and then, but the seeds that you sow can have ongoing consequences into your spouse’s life and in your marriage.
The same is true when you sow good things. Jesus told a story of a farmer who had a potential harvest of 30, 60, or 100x what was sowed. Sowing multiplies!
Here’s the question to ask yourself: “What am I sowing into my marriage?” Choosing to consistently sow good things into your spouse will catapult you forward as you build your marriage.