God established sowing and reaping as a principle of life. In Genesis, Chapter I, animals, plants and humans to produce after their own kind. However, sowing and reaping is more than just a natural principle, it is also a spiritual principle.

Facts about Sowing and Reaping

• We reap the same in “kind” as we sow
  Seeds are one of the least expensive, but most important, factors in influencing yield potential. A farmer knows that he can improve his yield of crops with high-quality seed. Likewise, if we are to reap God’s best, we must sow the right kind of seeds. Our actions are seeds that will bring us a future return – whether good or evil (Galatians 6:7).

  For example, a farmer doesn’t sow cucumber seeds and harvest carrots. If he plants cucumbers, he will reap cucumbers. Similarly, if we sow love, then we will experience love. When we bless others, we will be blessed in return. However, the principle of sowing and reaping can negatively, as well. You cannot sow cruelty and reap mercy, or unforgiveness and reap God’s forgiveness. So, we should decide on the future we want to have and sow accordingly.
  

• The more seeds we sow, the larger our harvest
  Each seed produces fruit which contains more seeds to sow again. So, the more seeds we sow, the more we will harvest.  Second Corinthians 9:10 (NIV) tells us, “Now he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness.” The same is true in life. Think of the Scripture, “They sow the wind and reap the whirlwind,” (Hosea 8:7, NIV). Sometimes, we unintentionally sow bad seeds. Therefore, it is important that we sow as many good seeds as we possibly can. With God’s principle of sowing and reaping, if we sow sparingly, we will reap sparingly.
  

• The quality of your seed impacts your harvest
  One way to determine a seed’s quality is its purity. Contaminants in a seed such as weed seed and foreign material reduce both the quality and quantity of the harvest. This holds true in the spiritual realm. When sowing seeds, we must be careful that there are no contaminates present in our hearts. So, we should always check our motives before sowing. Doing the right things for the wrong reasons can impact our harvest.
  
  Before performing a kind act, we should ask ourselves these questions: “Why am I doing this?” “Is God leading me to do this or am I doing this for selfish reasons?” “Do I want to be a blessing to someone or am I sowing to be noticed by others?” We must continually evaluate the quality of our seeds for optimal harvest. 
  

• Knowing where to sow your seed is important
  Good soil is essential to growing healthy plants. Many farmers analyze samples of their soil to find out what is in it. Like the farmers, we should also examine the soil in which we want to plant our seed. For instance, before sowing financial seeds into a particular ministry or church, ask God if this is good soil for your seed. Perform a soil analysis: Are the sick being healed? Are people being delivered? Is the Gospel being preached?

  Jesus taught an important lesson about sowing and reaping and the importance of sowing in good soil (Luke 8:5-8). Where we think we should plant our seed may not necessarily be where God wants us to plant it. Our sowing is to be based on His leading. This is why it is important to recognize God’s voice and yield to His will. 
  

• Seeds need to be cultivated to begin growing
  Planting a seed is not enough. A farmer won’t necessarily have a harvest just because he plants seeds. How well your seed is nurtured determines its output. Once seeds have been planted, they need water and sunlight to grow. Water is needed to turn organic matter in the soil into nutrients. It also carries these nutrients to the plant through its roots and to its stems. Without sunlight and water, the plant will eventually wither and die.

  We should care for the spiritual seeds that we sow in the same way. We can cultivate our seeds by spending time in prayer, reading God’s Word, and declaring His promises. In addition, we must be mindful to keep our fields free of anything that can prevent us from receiving a full harvest. For example, weeds of fear and worry, and speaking words other than what God says, can destroy our expected harvest.
  

• Sowing and reaping involves waiting 
  Farmers know that there’s a waiting period between the time they plant and the time they harvest their crops. Most seeds remain dormant for weeks or years waiting for conditions to be just right so they can begin to grow. When the time is right, the seed germinates, and the new plant begins to grow.
  
  The same applies when we sow spiritual seeds. We may want to give up and believe that our harvest will not come. But we must remember, it will take time for our seed to grow and develop. Therefore, we should continue to cultivate our seeds and stand firm on God’s promises, while we wait. Our harvest will come in God’s appointed time. Galatians 6:9 reminds us, “And let us not be weary in well doing; for in due season, we shall reap if we faint not.   

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