Reaping is the fun part. Preparing the soil, planting, tending, weeding, watering… these are reasons people don’t plant gardens.
John and I planted a garden last spring at Taylor’s house. He has a great location in his backyard where the previous owner was known for growing prize vegetables.
Not so with us. We started off strong with rows of tomato plants, peppers, and squash… we dreamed of the harvest. Taylor watered the garden faithfully and when little green tomatoes started showing, we all got excited.
The problem came one summer day when I noticed a large green tomato half eaten. “Taylor, we have a problem,” I moaned. The next time I visited I saw a critter running away from our plants. John had the solution: “Dana, we gotta get a trap.” So that’s what we did and the next day Taylor sent me a picture of the defeated culprit.
“Great job, men!” I encouraged, but sadly our enemy had friends and before we knew it, 90% of our tomatoes were gone. We were disheartened to say the least. To make matters worse, Kinsey sent pictures of several nice tomatoes she and Jordan grew in their backyard in Birmingham.
Our experience makes me not take for granted my parents’ wonderful summer gardens. When we visit and my mom asks me to go pick some ears of corn or okra or tomatoes, I have a renewed appreciation for the work that took place before the reaping.
Jesus used such language to talk about the Kingdom of God: “Do you not say, ‘Four months more and then the harvest’? Even now the reaper draws his wages, even now he harvests the crop for eternal life, so that the sower and reaper may be glad together. Thus the saying, ‘One sows and another reaps’ is true. I sent you to reap what you have not worked for. Others have done the hard work, and you have reaped the benefit of their labor.” (John 4:35-38)
God wants us to do our part. If we are to sow His Word, we should share with faith, love, and enthusiasm. If we are to water, we should realize the necessity of our assignment and be faithful. If we are to stand against the enemy, we should pray in the Spirit with God’s armor in place, knowing the devil wants to destroy anything that leads to the Father. And if we get to reap, we should remember that others have participated in the harder parts of the process and that God deserves all the glory.
“Neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow. The man who plants and the man who waters have one purpose and each will be rewarded according to his own labor. For we are God’s fellow workers…” I Corinthians 3:7-9