Teaching about the Harvest

By: Charlene Fadirepo

It is Sunday and I just watched one of my favorite online church services, Pastor Andy, from World Overcomers Church of Christ in Raleigh, North Carolina. My husband and I attended this church while in graduate school at Duke. As always Pastor Andy had a powerful WORD for me and you!

The sermon was all about the concept of your “harvest” –and how God tells us how He wants us to manage our lives. In Galatians Chapter 6, Verses 7-9 God tells us that we will receive the benefits of whatever we focus on. So if you workout 5 days a week, you will be fit and muscular. If you eat right, then your blood pressure and cholesterol numbers will be good.

Galatians 6: 7-9: Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap.⁸ For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life. ⁹ And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart.

Galatians 6: 7-9 is directly applicable to how you should manage your money. Trust me, you really will reap exactly what you sow.  If you save, stick to a budget, and invest your money, eventually your financial situation will improve. On the other hand, if you don’t save, ignore your budget, and spend more than you make, then your financial situation will get worse. Note these verses also weave in the concept of time related to the harvest. Managing your finances the right way takes alot of time, focus, determination, and energy. And it is never easy to delay gratification of the things we all want and need. But if we sow appropriately—which means we stick to our budgets, save and invest wisely, we will be able to reap lives of financial abundance. And most importantly, we can lead by example and teach our kids all about the harvest as well.

You might not want to get into a discussion on credit cards and banking fees with your 8 year old just yet, but you can definitely talk about the concept of the harvest. When we plant a seed in the ground, we take good care of it, water it, make sure it receives sunlight, and protect it from harm. And when we wait until it blooms into a beautiful flower, or magnificent tree. Our bank accounts are no different. They require time, care and attention, protection from harm, and patience. That is a simple lesson that can be taught to the youngest of children.

Pastor Andy went on the share the 5 Fold Laws of the Harvest:

1. You will reap IF you sow.
2. You only reap AFTER you sow.
3. You usually reap MORE than you sow.
4. You will reap WHAT you sow.
5. You will reap WHERE you sow.

Check out the full sermon here.