A person who is adventurous and buys a piece of land away from the city. Then he builds his home and starts living in it. Roads to reach his home is not there, in the night darkness descends in the surrounding, he had to dig his own borewell for water…etc. Slowly, after few years more people start building houses. Then all facilities start coming including schools, markets and theatres. However, by that time, the man was old, could not enjoy those facilities and dies. His children and grandchildren enjoyed those facilities. As a pioneer, he took risks, sacrificed his comforts and worked hard to make life comfortable. However, his descendants reaped what he sowed.
Today people like to only reap not sow. “Those who sow in tears shall reap with shouts of joy! He who goes out weeping, bearing the seed for sowing, shall come home with shouts of joy, bringing his sheaves with him. (Psalm 126:5,6) Sowing is hard toil, investment, risk, faith venture, and long-term deal. Reaping is visible, easy, rewards and joy. However, there is no reaping without sowing.
In our life, God may give opportunities to reap what others had sown. Lord told so to his disciples. (John 4: 38) Yes, God is the ultimate sower, all of us are reapers. There is also other meaning, one generation could sow for spiritual harvest, and the next generation would reap a great harvest.
In Mission context also, there is one mission field in which over 20 years one mission agency toiled with no fruit. However, they continuously faithfully sowed the word of God. The mission agency left, a new agency came and started work and within five years, they had a rich harvest of bringing over 300 people. In the midst of harvest, they should not forget to sow.
How many percentages of our time we spend in sowing? How many percentages of our time we spend in reaping?
Am I sowing and reaping simultaneously?