Hammer

Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap. For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life.” Galatians 6:7-8

This is a hammer passage.  What I mean by that is that it can be and has been used to beat up on people. It is a hammer passage. It is easy to look at a passage like this and use it to point out other people’s behavior.  I suspect I have done so on occasion in my life.  But these words are nestled amidst other words from Paul that says things like, “bear one another's burdens” (visit Galatians 6:2) and “let us not grow weary of doing good.” (Galatians 6:9).  All of Paul’s exaltations here in these passages are inwardly focused towards the reader; in this case the reader is me.

Yes I am work at bearing other’s burdens, though I do so imperfectly. I try not to tire of doing good, but I do get weary. Paul here is talking  more about motivation; he makes it clear that if I am doing things for the purpose of gratifying my own flesh, I will reap “corruption,” and in doing so I attempt to mock God. 

This is a hammer verse.  Not for me or anyone else to use on another person. But one to use on ourselves. “The one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life.”  It is so easy to forget who it is we belong to and live only by the flesh.

Which means even as a truster and follower of Jesus Christ I have decisions to make. Every day. To what end am I going to sow?  To the flesh...or to the Spirit?  And so I ask for forgiveness; of the too many times I’ve have sown my own flesh, Lord use that hammer to continue to turn me to sowing to the Spirit.

So let us not be deceived, but Lord help us to focus on where our sowing is going.  And use that hammer on us occasionally.  But keep that hammer out of our hands.