(10) Sowing

"Do not be led astray, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, this he shall also reap." (Galatians 6:7)
Everything we do is some kind of sowing, either to the flesh or to the Spirit. Wherever we may be and whatever we are doing, we are sowing seeds. You sow at work and also at school. The elders sow while they are caring for the church, and those who minister the Word sow as they minister. Husbands and wives are constantly sowing in their married life, and parents are sowing in their family life. Everything parents say to their children and do with them is a seed sown into them. Day by day we all are sowing. The Christian life is a life of sowing. Furthermore, the place where we live and work is our farm. You are sowing even by the way you dress or style your hair. Virtually everything you do is an act of sowing. It is crucial for us to realize that the Christian walk must be a walk by the Spirit and a life of sowing to the Spirit.

In our experience, the flesh should be crucified. As Paul says in 5:24, "They who are of Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with the passions and the lusts." We should not continue to walk according to the flesh. We should not be in the flesh in expressing our attitudes. In speaking to their children, parents need to be in the Spirit and according to the Spirit. Otherwise, what they say will be a sowing unto the flesh. We should also be careful of the way we express our attitude. Even the expression of an attitude may be sowing according to the flesh. On the other hand, we may express our attitude by sowing unto the Spirit. We should also be cautious in expressing opinions. Do you have the assurance that the utterance of your opinion is according to the Spirit? If not, be careful, lest you sow unto the flesh. If we all sow unto the Spirit day by day, many problems will be eliminated. The troubles in the church life and in the family life will diminish. Most problems and troubles come from sowing unto the flesh.

"And let us not lose heart in doing good, for in due time we shall reap if we do not faint." (Galantians 6:9) We should not lose heart in sowing unto the Spirit. Sowing to the flesh usually produces a quicker result than sowing to the Spirit. A higher form of life often grows more slowly than a lower form. In the same principle, what we sow unto the Spirit will usually grow more slowly than what we sow unto the flesh. This is the reason that Paul encourages us not to lose heart in sowing unto the Spirit. In working for the Lord, in ministering the Word to the children of God, and in caring for the churches, we should not expect that what we sow unto the Spirit will grow quickly. Like farmers, we need to be patient. Eventually, in due time, we shall reap. The more precious are the things sown, the longer it will take for them to grow. While they are growing, let us be patient and not lose heart. (Life-Study of Galatians, Message #29)
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撒種

加拉太六7:不要受迷惑，神是嗤慢不得的，因為人種的是甚麼，收的也是甚麼。
我們所作的一切，都是撒種，或是為著自己的肉體，或是為著那靈。一切的撒種，都有收成，或是從肉體收敗壞，或是從那靈收永遠的生命。無論我們在那裡，無論我們作甚麼，我們都是在撒種。你工作時撒種，在學校時也撒種。長老們看顧召會是撒種，服事話語的人在服事的時候也撒種。丈夫與妻子不停的在他們的婚姻生活中撒種。作父母的也在他們的家庭生活中撒種。作父母的對兒女所說的每一句話，以及對兒女所作的每一件事，都是一粒種子撒到兒女裡面。我們天天都在撒種。基督徒的生活乃是撒種的生活，我們生活與工作的場所乃是我們的農場。就連你如何穿著，如何梳理頭髮，也是在撒種。事實上，你所作的每一件事，都是撒種的行為。我們需要明白，基督徒的生活行動必須是憑著靈而行，也必須是為著那靈撒種的生活；這是十分要緊的。

在我們的經歷裡，肉體應當被釘十字架。保羅在五章二十四節說，『但那屬基督耶穌的人，是已經把肉體連肉體的邪情私慾，都釘了十字架。』我們不該繼續照著肉體生活行動。我們不該在肉體裡表明我們的態度。父母對兒女說話需要在靈裡，並照著靈。否則父母所說的就是為著肉體撒種。我們也該小心如何表明自己的態度。就連我們態度的表現，也可能是照著肉體撒種。另一方面，我們表示自己的態度，也可能是為著那靈撒種。我們在發表意見的時候也該謹慎。你有把握你是照著那靈發表意見麼？你如果沒有把握，就要當心，免得你是為著肉體撒種。如果我們一天過一天都為著那靈撒種，許多難處就會消除。在召會生活以及家庭生活裡的難處自然會減少。許多問題與難處，都是來自為著肉體撒種。

加拉太六章9接著說，『我們行善，不可喪志；因為若不灰心，到了適當的時候，就要收成。』我們行善，為著那靈撒種，不可喪志。為著肉體撒種通常比為著那靈撒種更快產生結果。高等的生命往往比低等的生命成長得慢。同樣的原則，我們為著那靈所撒的種子，通常比為著肉體所撒的種子成長得慢。這就是保羅鼓勵我們為著那靈撒種不可喪志的原因。我們為主作工，服事話語給神的兒女，照顧眾召會，不該盼望我們為著那靈所撒的種子會很快的長大。我們需要像農夫一樣忍耐。至終，到了適當的時候，我們就要收成。所撒的種子越寶貴，生長也越花時間。當牠們在長大的時候，我們要忍耐，不可喪志。
(摘自『加拉太書生命讀經』第二十九篇) http://www.lsmchinese.org/