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Day Twenty

“Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ…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. And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up. So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith”.

                                                        Galatians 6:2,7-10 NIV

My grandparents lived on a farm in Ohio. If you drove up the long gravel lane to their house, you’d see nothing but corn fields until you got to the top of the lane, and then sweeping in front of you, you’d see the long front porch of their farmhouse filled with metal gliders and rocking chairs. My grandfather was a full-time farmer and a part-time mailman. He harvested corn and good relationships because he was intentional about sowing seeds in both of his vocations. The reason why you’d see fields full of green tasseled corn stalks was because soil had been turned and fertilized, and corn had been planted there in long straight furrows.

The reason why you’d see people go out of their way to wave or speak to my grandfather was because he was never too much in a hurry to stop and linger at a mailbox if someone just had something they had to tell or a burden they needed to share.

At the beginning of time God made man a “helpmate” because in His own words, “It is not good for man to be alone”. This passage in Galatians speaks of two concepts; carrying one another’s burdens and the principle of reaping what you sow.  You reap love in a relationship when you sow love. You reap compassion when you sow compassion.  You reap encouragement in a relationship when you sow encouragement.  Our friends in Galatia, confused over how the law fit into their first generational faith in Christ, are exhorted by Paul that their means for fulfilling the law lies in carrying one another’s burdens. And specifically, we sow to the Spirit when we do good works for our fellow believers.

Is there a greater privilege than praying for one another?  Are you faithful in praying for your church body?  I’m praying we are known as a body that grows in loving each other well.  I’m praying that we are a body that faithfully prays for each other. I’m praying that we sow seeds of faith through prayer for each other. NewLife, it’s time to be determined to be faithful in sowing for one another!!