7 Do
not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows.
8 Whoever sows to please their flesh, from the
flesh will reap destruction; whoever sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit
will reap eternal life. 9 Let us not
become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we
do not give up. 10 Therefore, as we
have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong
to the family of believers. (Galatians 6:7-10)
We are in the middle of harvest season.
Farmers are gathering their final crops that they worked so hard for all year
long. I've been going through a lot of
my old study guides from the classes I taught to the troubled youth several
years ago, and I ran across this ancient story.
I'm not the original author, no one seems to know who the author was,
but it's a very good story that we can all learn from...and share.
The
Seed
In a far away country in
the East, the Emperor was getting very
old and knew it was time to choose his successor. Instead
of choosing one of his assistants or his children, he decided to do something
different. He called young people in the kingdom together one day. He said,
"It is time for me to step down and choose the next Emperor. I have
decided to choose one of you."
The children were shocked, but the Emperor continued. "I am going to give each one of you a seed today--one very special seed. I want you to plant the seed, water it, and come back here one year from today with what you have grown from this one seed. I will then judge the plants that you bring, and the one I choose will be the next Emperor."
One boy, named Lee, was there that day and he, like the others, received a seed. He went home and excitedly, told his mother the story. She helped him get a pot and planting soil, and he planted the seed and watered it, carefully. Every day, he would water it and watch to see if it had grown. After about three weeks, some of the other youths began to talk about their seeds and the plants that were beginning to grow. Lee kept checking his seed, but nothing ever grew. Three weeks, four weeks, five weeks went by, still nothing. By now, others were talking about their plants, but Lee didn't have a plant and he felt like a failure. Six months went by--still nothing in Lee's pot.
He just knew he had killed his seed. Everyone else had trees and tall plants, but he had nothing. Lee didn't say anything to his friends, however. He just kept waiting for his seed to grow. A year finally went by and all the youths of the kingdom brought their plants to the Emperor for inspection. Lee told his mother that he wasn't going to take an empty pot. But his mother asked him to be honest about what happened.
Lee felt sick at his stomach, but he knew his mother was right. He took his empty pot to the palace. When Lee arrived, he was amazed at the variety of plants grown by the other youths. They were beautiful--in all shapes and sizes. Lee put his empty pot on the floor and many of the other children laughed at him. A few felt sorry for him and just said, "Hey, nice try."
When the Emperor arrived, he surveyed the room and greeted the young people. Lee just tried to hide in the back. "My, what great plants, trees, and flowers you have grown," said the emperor. "Today one of you will be appointed the next Emperor!"
Suddenly, the Emperor spotted Lee at the back of the room with his empty pot. He ordered his guards to bring him to the front. Lee was terrified. He thought, "The Emperor knows I'm a failure! Maybe he will have me killed!"
When Lee got to the front, the Emperor asked his name. "My name is Lee." he replied. All the kids were laughing and making fun of him. The Emperor asked everyone to quiet down. He looked at Lee, and then announced to the crowd, "Behold your new Emperor! His name is Lee!"
Lee couldn't believe it. Lee couldn't even grow his seed. How could he be the new Emperor?
Then the Emperor said, "One year ago today, I gave everyone here a seed. I told you to take the seed, plant it, water it, and bring it back to me today. But I gave you all boiled seeds that would not grow. All of you, except Lee, have brought me trees and plants and flowers. When you found that the seed would not grow, you substituted another seed for the one I gave you. Lee was the only one with the courage and honesty to bring me a pot with my seed in it. Therefore, he is the one who will be the new Emperor!"
The children were shocked, but the Emperor continued. "I am going to give each one of you a seed today--one very special seed. I want you to plant the seed, water it, and come back here one year from today with what you have grown from this one seed. I will then judge the plants that you bring, and the one I choose will be the next Emperor."
One boy, named Lee, was there that day and he, like the others, received a seed. He went home and excitedly, told his mother the story. She helped him get a pot and planting soil, and he planted the seed and watered it, carefully. Every day, he would water it and watch to see if it had grown. After about three weeks, some of the other youths began to talk about their seeds and the plants that were beginning to grow. Lee kept checking his seed, but nothing ever grew. Three weeks, four weeks, five weeks went by, still nothing. By now, others were talking about their plants, but Lee didn't have a plant and he felt like a failure. Six months went by--still nothing in Lee's pot.
He just knew he had killed his seed. Everyone else had trees and tall plants, but he had nothing. Lee didn't say anything to his friends, however. He just kept waiting for his seed to grow. A year finally went by and all the youths of the kingdom brought their plants to the Emperor for inspection. Lee told his mother that he wasn't going to take an empty pot. But his mother asked him to be honest about what happened.
Lee felt sick at his stomach, but he knew his mother was right. He took his empty pot to the palace. When Lee arrived, he was amazed at the variety of plants grown by the other youths. They were beautiful--in all shapes and sizes. Lee put his empty pot on the floor and many of the other children laughed at him. A few felt sorry for him and just said, "Hey, nice try."
When the Emperor arrived, he surveyed the room and greeted the young people. Lee just tried to hide in the back. "My, what great plants, trees, and flowers you have grown," said the emperor. "Today one of you will be appointed the next Emperor!"
Suddenly, the Emperor spotted Lee at the back of the room with his empty pot. He ordered his guards to bring him to the front. Lee was terrified. He thought, "The Emperor knows I'm a failure! Maybe he will have me killed!"
When Lee got to the front, the Emperor asked his name. "My name is Lee." he replied. All the kids were laughing and making fun of him. The Emperor asked everyone to quiet down. He looked at Lee, and then announced to the crowd, "Behold your new Emperor! His name is Lee!"
Lee couldn't believe it. Lee couldn't even grow his seed. How could he be the new Emperor?
Then the Emperor said, "One year ago today, I gave everyone here a seed. I told you to take the seed, plant it, water it, and bring it back to me today. But I gave you all boiled seeds that would not grow. All of you, except Lee, have brought me trees and plants and flowers. When you found that the seed would not grow, you substituted another seed for the one I gave you. Lee was the only one with the courage and honesty to bring me a pot with my seed in it. Therefore, he is the one who will be the new Emperor!"
If you plant honesty, you will reap
trust.
If you plant goodness, you will reap friends.
If you plant humility, you will reap greatness.
If you plant perseverance, you will reap victory.
If you plant consideration, you will reap harmony.
If you plant hard work, you will reap success.
If you plant forgiveness, you will reap reconciliation.
If you plant openness, you will reap intimacy.
If you plant patience, you will reap improvements.
If you plant faith, you will reap miracles.
But
If you plant dishonesty, you will reap distrust.
If you plant selfishness, you will reap loneliness.
If you plant pride, you will reap destruction.
If you plant envy, you will reap trouble.
If you plant laziness, you will reap stagnation.
If you plant bitterness, you will reap isolation.
If you plant greed, you will reap loss.
If you plant gossip, you will reap enemies.
If you plant worries, you will reap wrinkles.
If you plant sin, you will reap guilt.
Two thousand years ago someone else told the same story with fewer words, "What you sow, so shall you reap". If you know who said this, nothing else needs to be said.
If you plant goodness, you will reap friends.
If you plant humility, you will reap greatness.
If you plant perseverance, you will reap victory.
If you plant consideration, you will reap harmony.
If you plant hard work, you will reap success.
If you plant forgiveness, you will reap reconciliation.
If you plant openness, you will reap intimacy.
If you plant patience, you will reap improvements.
If you plant faith, you will reap miracles.
But
If you plant dishonesty, you will reap distrust.
If you plant selfishness, you will reap loneliness.
If you plant pride, you will reap destruction.
If you plant envy, you will reap trouble.
If you plant laziness, you will reap stagnation.
If you plant bitterness, you will reap isolation.
If you plant greed, you will reap loss.
If you plant gossip, you will reap enemies.
If you plant worries, you will reap wrinkles.
If you plant sin, you will reap guilt.
Two thousand years ago someone else told the same story with fewer words, "What you sow, so shall you reap". If you know who said this, nothing else needs to be said.
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