Years ago, a visiting missionary told our congregation that while over in Africa, his son, at 16, began some rebellious behavior, doing things like smoking, sneaking out of the house at night, causing trouble in town.
The father, especially, was blown away.
He went to God and asked why his son was behaving this way, especially since he and his wife had raised him according to biblical principles and with much love in their home. Both parents became depressed, doubting their parenting ability and sadly, the wisdom of the Bible in this area.
Then the missionary told us that God, one day, seemed to tell him, "You did not sow into your son's bad behavior, so do not reap from it. Don't reap poison or depression from that which you didn't sow as seeds."
Wow. Thirteen years later? I clearly recall that. Often I'm reminded of those words.
When I'm accused of something I didn't do--and if my explanations cannot repair it-- I do not allow myself to reap confusion and misery from what I didn't sow.
If my adult daughter behaves in ways her dad and I never did, I do not reap an inner unrest or hopelessness. I pray, instead.
If we have a financial problem, one which arrived not because of unwise spending, I don't panic and stay awake at night, but trust God to help us fix it.
And on and on.
Now of course, please note I'm not saying we do nothing about problems we initially didn't sow seeds into. No, if there's a way to fix a problem, we'll fix it--yes!
Yet m point today? Don't allow guilt, condemnation or shame to grow on the inside around your heart, that important place from which we view, perceive and live much of our lives.
It's in that place where we guard, carefully, what we allow to grow, not allowing weeds where we only planted flowers--
--the same way we watch diligently what we're sowing on the outside amongst those who watch us farm our way through this Life.
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"Let not your heart be troubled... guard it with all diligence for out of it flow the issues of Life."
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