I grew up on a small farm in Bear Grass, NC during the 1950s & 60s. No one worried about child labor laws in those days. I was always given age appropriate chores to do. At first, I was only expected to help bring wood from our shelter to our porch each day. The total distance was no more than 80–100 feet but it seemed like two miles. In the summer I was to help gather the vegetables from the garden for the day’s meal or for canning.
As I grew older, the jobs assigned to me took on more significance. I was later able to help cut the firewood along with planting & tending the garden.
Working with my grandfather, I learned truths from the Bible without knowing it. One of those was “do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows” (Galatians 6:7 NIV).
In the fields where we planted peanuts, we later harvested peanuts. Where corn was planted, corn grew. To my delight, watermelons grew where we dropped watermelon seeds. That did not seem strange.
Now, as an adult, it amazes me to see people act surprised when their lives are a harvest of hurt, hardship, and negativity as a result of decisions they made earlier in life. It is as if they planted weeds and expected to harvest grain.
Our living determines, to a great extent, our future happiness or unhappiness. God has arranged our universe so each seed produces its own kind. If you want carrots, you plant carrots. If you want tomatoes, you plant tomatoes. You cannot expect to harvest peace if you sow conflict. If you tell lies, you cannot expect righteousness.
Someone who is always criticizing others finds little joy or sunshine in their own life. A person who is always busy sowing resentment, usually finds that resentment eats away at him from the inside. A person who gives few compliments will receive few compliments. A person who sows hatred, finds himself slowly consumed by hatred.
The things you do and say today are the seeds you are planting. They determine what kind of harvest you will have in the future.
Choose your seed very carefully.