The Laws of Sowing and Reaping—Part Two

A summary of Pastor Rick Warren's message on Financial Fitness

The third law of sowing and reaping is deceptively simple: whatever you sow is what you will reap. A farmer who plants beans does not expect watermelons, cucumbers, or candy canes. He expects beans. This is the law of reproduction, and it applies to every area of life. As Pastor Rick puts it, the phrase repeated throughout Genesis is that each creature reproduces "after its own kind." Tomato plants produce tomatoes, not potatoes. Apple trees bear apples, not pears. The same principle governs human behavior.

This law works both positively and negatively. Galatians 6:7 warns, "Do not deceive yourself. You will reap exactly what you plant in life." If you sow kindness, you will reap kindness. If you show grace and mercy, people will extend grace and mercy to you. If you are forgiving, others will forgive you. But the negative side is equally certain. If you are angry, you will receive anger. If you are critical, you will be criticized. If you gossip about others, people will gossip about you. Proverbs 26:27 says, "He who digs a pit to hurt somebody else will fall into it himself." Hosea 10:13 echoes this: "You planted wickedness, and now you have reaped evil."