“If he can’t see my worth, I’m done with him.” Isn’t this one of the most self-affirming statements a woman can make? I heard a sister in Christ say this after she had been expecting her boyfriend of several years to pop the question, and he never did. It is absolutely true that whether a man does or doesn’t ask us to be his wife, we must be happy within ourselves. While it is a blessing and a treasure to walk down that aisle to a man that honors and loves us, marriage was not intended by God to be the source of our joy and happiness in life. That spot should be occupied by our love for God through the Lord Jesus Christ.
For many single Christian women, the desire to have a good man takes over most of their thoughts. Some are consumed by this desire because they want it so desperately. Even though they may have families, work, and hobbies to occupy their time, they don’t know what to do with themselves because they haven’t yet met their significant person. They feel a void in their lives, and it seems so deep.
This void teaches us how important it is to love someone as fully as we possibly can. It shows us that we have the capacity to invest in another person in a way that pours into them but fulfills us as well. This is a very beautiful discovery, but it is a discovery that requires wisdom and spiritual maturity to navigate. Our mistake is that we become so eager to invest that we neglect our walk with God. We think we know ourselves very well, and we might think, “I would never neglect my relationship with God.” He knows us infinitely better than we know ourselves, and only He knows when we’re at a place where we won’t do this.
Galatians 6:7(NLT) warns, “Don’t be misled—you cannot mock the justice of God. You will always harvest what you plant.” God is informing us about His law regarding planting and harvesting or sowing and reaping as it is more commonly known. It’s like a farmer who plants seeds in the ground in order to make a living and support himself or herself as well as their family. The farmer knows the value of something as small as a seed. He or she knows that when it goes into the ground, the seed multiplies exponentially. If multiple seeds are properly nurtured after they are planted, and they get enough sunlight and water, those tiny seeds will produce a great harvest during the appropriate season.
As God’s children, we must be careful what we plant, because just as we can plant good seeds, we can also plant bad seeds. We can plant seeds of insecurity, jealousy, doubt, resentment, bitterness, sexual dysfunction, obsession, idolatry, and many other seeds that are rooted in darkness. All of these kinds of things come from our hearts, that’s where they live. We all make mistakes, and we do things we know the Bible tells us we shouldn’t. God doesn’t punish us, and He doesn’t withhold His blessings from us, but if these things are operating in our hearts without our repentance, our faith is hindered.
God wants to teach us through Christ how to plant His seeds of love. He teaches us in Hosea 10:12(NLT), “‘I said, ‘Plant the good seeds of righteousness, and you will harvest a crop of love. Plow up the hard ground of your hearts, for now is the time to seek the LORD, that he may come and shower righteousness upon you.’” God wants us to have relationships that are nurtured in His goodness and righteousness, because these are the relationships that will endure the storms of life. These are the seeds you and I must make it our priority to plant, and in order to plant them, they must be anchored in our hearts.
Many times, we get wrapped up in our feelings and we make the mistake of being led by our emotions instead of trusting God. This is when we run hot and cold. One minute we’re trusting and believing God just as He tells us to, then the next minute we become impatient and doubt creeps in. Our faith is very attractive to God and it’s what gets His attention. Without it, Hebrews 11:6 tells us that it’s impossible to please Him.
God tells us to guard our heart with all diligence, for out of it are the issues of life. He’s letting us know where our decisions and choices originate; they come from the heart! Guard your heart! Watch over it and protect it like a farmer would his seeds. Don’t let bad seeds take root, and don’t get tired of learning from God. Plant His love through demonstrating your honor and faith in Him every chance you get. Let your love for Him fill the void in your heart and life. Be humble and eager to learn what He desires to teach you, then, when He has deemed you ready to plant seeds of righteousness, you will harvest a crop of His love. ■
Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved.
“We Will Harvest What We Plant”, written by Kim Times, edited by Reverend Fran Mack, for Sundie Morning Sistas ©2021. All rights reserved. All done to the glory of God through Jesus Christ, our Lord! SMS is dedicated to inspiring and encouraging Christian Women through the Word of God.