Central Truth

Paul informs us that we ridicule God and deceive ourselves if we think we can live our lives contrary to the principles God has given to us and still be in a right relationship with Him and His people. Our lives should be beneficial toward others.

Reflections

Urbanites seem to have no appreciation for what has gone into placing their daily meals upon their tables. Since their food comes from the local factory (called a grocery store) they seldom learn agrarian lessons. Although I was born in Dallas, Texas, I count myself highly fortunate to have grown up in a small rural community.

Granddad had a 21 acre family farm in northeast Texas. That farm was his livelihood. It was his vocation. He was a skilled agrarian. I remember enjoying entire summers living with him and my Grandmother. I learned that my Grandfather had the ability to read the signs of nature. He knew when the livestock were content or in distress. He could always tell, without the aid of electronic broadcasts, when the next day's weather was going to be favorable or not. Granddad knew exactly when and what to plant in his large, acre-sized family garden and the right time for his livestock to be bred. He carefully planted and bred only what would thrive and produce life within itself, because he knew what could and could not be produced on the land.

Not only was the farm his source of livelihood, it was also one of my Grandfather’s primary means of exhibiting generosity toward others. Since he was skilled at sowing the right crops and caring for farm animals, Granddad always had an abundance of produce. Producing much more than what he and my Grandmother could consume on their own, their excess was always freely and gladly shared with family and neighbors.

Paul uses agrarian terminology to emphasize what he first mentions near the end of chapter 5. There, Paul makes a distinction between carrying out fleshly desires versus exhibiting the fruit of God’s Spirit within our lives. Paul encourages us to become skilled at sowing in our lives what will produce the beneficence of the Spirit, not just for our own reward, but, like my Grandfather, for the fulfillment of bestowing goodwill upon others to God's glory.

Discussion Questions

1. Consider Galatians 6:7. What is meant by “God is not mocked” within the context of Paul’s ideas of sowing and reaping?

2. Look back at the last half of chapter five and consider what Paul means in 6:8 by "one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption."

3. Look back at the last half of chapter five and consider what Paul means in 6:8 by "the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life."

4. In 6:9, Paul seems to acknowledge that doing good toward other people will sometimes result in great disappointments and discouragements. What does Paul encourage us to do in such situations? If you ever experienced the disappointments of doing good toward others, how did you respond?