It's Time to Plant

Spring is my absolute favorite season! The cool weather, the crisp breeze blowing through the open windows of my house, the trees, grass, and bushes coming back to life after winter, with green foliage and flowers. I. LOVE. SPRING.

Spring is also a time to prepare flower beds in my yard for planting. I weed out the old flowers to prepare for the new ones. In order to have a beautiful yard for the summertime, I have to plant and prepare for the spring.  If I want the benefit and beauty of summer flowers, I have to work hard and plan for the spring season.Often times, in our spiritual life, we want to walk in a season of harvest without working in the season of planting. It’s impossible to enjoy a season of harvest without first working in a season of planting. Harvest season is fun, enjoyable, and exhilarating.  Planting season, on the other hand, is hard work, not too much fun and exhausting! Planting season requires discipline and patience, trusting that a season of harvest will come as a result of your hard work.We all want to see harvest (fruit, blessings, prosperity, etc.) in our lives, but not all of us are willing to walk through a season of planting first. We want our marriages to be blessed, our children to be obedient and blessed, and our finances to prosper. We pray and ask God to bless those areas of our lives to allow harvest to come but the question is: Have we been planting seeds into those areas? Have you been disciplined in planting seeds into your husband and marriage?  Have you been consistent with your seed planting into your children?  Have you been a faithful, wise steward of the finances and resources that God has blessed you with?  Or are you praying for and expecting a harvest in an area that you haven’t been faithful in planting seeds into?Galatians 6: 7 clearly tells us: “A man reaps what he sows.” Your harvest is dependent upon your planting. It’s not only the way of the natural world and its seasons, but it’s also the way of God and His seasons of life for you. Have you put as much time and effort into your seasons of planting as you have spent praying for your harvest to come?This principle is true in every area of our lives: marriage, family, relationships, money, ministry, and the list goes on and on.Seeds of time, investment, obedience, faithfulness, encouragement, discipline, and hard work will reap a harvest of blessing in your life. Far too many of us desire the season of blessing without the hard work of the season of planting. You simply cannot have the first, without the second. It’s not the way of nature and it’s certainly not the way of God.What area of your life is lacking in fruit or blessings? What area are you asking God to bring a harvest in?  Have you spent as much time planting in those areas as you have in praying for the blessings of harvest?Perhaps, it’s not just springtime on the natural calendar, but it’s springtime on your spiritual calendar as well. Maybe it’s time to go to work by planting those seeds of life, hope, encouragement, and faith in your husband, your children, your family members, and friends. Maybe it’s time to roll up your sleeves and work hard at your job, go the extra mile with your co-workers and have a great attitude!The season of planting is NOW.Roll up your sleeves and get to work.If you’re faithful in your season of planting, the season of harvest will come. I promise!