I recently heard a teaching by Dr. David Ibeleme, one of my Bible School lecturers, on the topic of sowing and reaping from a perspective that really resonated with me. So I am sharing my thoughts and some of what I gleaned from the lesson. 

Seedtime and harvest is a heavenly principle controlled by God. Genesis 8:22 (NIV) says, “As long as the earth endures, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night will never cease.” So just as God established seasons and days on the earth, he also established seedtime and harvest. Sowing and reaping, on the other hand, is a concept controlled by man. In order for man to access or utilize the law of seedtime and harvest, God provides the seed for sowing, as explained in 2 Corinthians 9:10 NLT, “It is God who gives seed to the man to plant… He will give you more seed to plant and make it grow so you will have more to give away.” Note that it is man’s responsibility to sow the seeds provided to him by God. God’s responsibility is to provide the harvest. 2 Corinthians 9:6 says, “…he (the man with the responsibility of sowing) who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully.” Therefore, sowing and reaping is dependent upon man. 

For further clarification, let’s look at Ecclesiastes 11:6 (KJV) which says, “Sow your seed in the morning, and in the evening let your hands not be idle, for you do not know which will succeed, whether this or that, or whether both will do equally well.” In other words the responsibility of man is to sow the seed and reap the harvest. The growth of the seed and therefore the provision of the harvest is totally dependent upon God, who controls seedtime and harvest. 

Now let’s focus on our responsibility of sowing and reaping. God’s establishment of the law of seedtime and harvest, guarantees the law of sowing and reaping. It’s important to note that there is no guarantee however, that the sower will be the reaper. Many of us have watched in envy as individuals around us seem to reap constantly, it’s as if they have the gift of reaping. 

Have you ever spent time investing in something or someone, only to see another person gain the benefits of your labor?  That’s an example of being the sower but not the reaper. Many believers are experts at sowing (giving) but they have never learned how to reap. We sow and sow and sow, then get angry at the soil we’ve been sowing into or the provider of the seeds (God). We must remember that the responsibility of sowing and reaping belongs to us. Yes, if I failed to reap my harvest, the fault is mine. I may be innocently at fault because no one taught me how to reap but I am still at fault.

Here are five simple points to help you shift from being a professional sower to a consistent reaper. . 

Firstly, the mindset of the reaper is different from the mindset of the sower. The reaper is not too proud to receive the harvest. He’s very open to receiving regardless of how small the harvest is. Sometimes the harvest received is seed for a larger harvest. I’ll use a recent conversation with a relative to help bring this concept home. I was on the phone with Sally, not her real name, as she was walking past a beggarly believer who was telling her story to anyone who would listen. Sally chatted with the lady and learned that she was once well off but was swindled by a religious organization. Sally was so moved by the lady’s story that she offered her some cash. To Sally’s surprise the woman refused the cash. Immediately the Holy Spirit brought these words to my mind: “This is one action that prevents her from experiencing abundance. She sowed but refused to reap because she was too proud.” While she took the time to share her story, someone else was going to reap the financial harvest that she had just refused.

Secondly, the reaper has a grateful heart. When Noah and his family successfully exited the ark, Noah build an altar of thanksgiving and offered a sacrifice to the Lord. Genesis 8:21 and 22 (MSG) tells us what happened as a result: “God smelled the sweet fragrance (of the sacrifice) and thought to himself, ‘I’ll never again curse the ground because of people. I know they have this bent toward evil from an early age, but I’ll never again kill off everything living as I’ve just done’.”

Thirdly, our connection with the Lord of the harvest (God) will allow us to time the growth period of our seed perfectly and prevent us from missing your harvest. John 4:35 says, “Don’t you have a saying, ‘It’s still four months until harvest’? I tell you, open your eyes and look at the fields! They are ripe for harvest.” You may be diligently looking at your with fields with natural eyes, perceiving that the crops are still young, while someone else whose eyes have been ‘opened’ by the Lord of the harvest is reaping your harvest.

Fourthly, the reaper recognizes God as his source. He generously and continuously sows seed and waits expectantly to reap a harvest. Consider a farmer who is dependent upon corn for a living. He plants much more seed than the number of plants he desires, knowing that the germination and growth of the seeds is out of his hands. He knows that multiple corn grains will fall within the same shallow hole, receive the same amount of nutrients, water and sunlight yet sometimes only one seed from that hole produces a plant. Despite the odds and all of the factors outside of his control, the farmer sows liberally and consistently tends to his fields. He does everything within his power to ensure that he reaps a harvest while trusting God for the harvest. 

Fifthly, the reaper is not afraid or too proud to follow the Ask, Seek, Knock instructions of Jesus in Matthew 7:7-8 (NIV) “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.” The scripture goes on to explain by using an example in verses 9-11, … “Which of you, if your son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!” 

In conclusion, it’s important to take small steps in your journey of moving from being a professional sower to becoming a consistent reaper. Start by being open to receiving. Stay connected with and attuned to the Lord of the harvest. Be grateful for every harvest you receive. Continuously plant your seed trusting God to grow your harvest and be bold and humble enough to Ask, Seek and Knock.