Sowing & Reaping

1 Corinthians 7:28b - But those who marry will face many troubles in this life, and I want to spare you this.

There it is, in the Word of God. Marriage brings many troubles. Ain't that something? So, we can all stop pretending our marriages are just fine and we walk with our spouses and our Savior in joyful bliss each and every day. We can stop being afraid to share our struggles with each other or even... (GULP!) ... SEEK HELP! Troubles have come, troubles are here, troubles are a comin'. There's no reason to be blind sided or surprised by the fact that a man and a woman joined in holy matrimony don't always act as holy as the matrimony. What now?

Galatians 6:7 - Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows.

We reap what we sow and (as Brother Wayne explains in his "Life For Marriage" class) the fruit is ALWAYS consistent with the seed. Especially in the middle of marriage troubles. I have learned the painful lesson that this is true whether I'm on the GIVING end or the RECEIVING end of my marriage troubles. It's all about how I act and how I react, because that's all I can control. That's alot of I's, isn't it? That's usually the source of the problem, because to be Christlike in a marriage, it's the I that must die to be in OBEDIENCE to God. (Another Brother Wayne analogy)

"OBEDIENCE"

I

DIE

1 Corinthians 15:36 - How foolish! What you sow does not come to life unless it dies.

Understand it or not, like it or not, that's how it works. When I'm wrong, I have to die to whatever my selfish want was that started the trouble. When I'm on the receiving end of selfishness, I STILL have to die, because that's when we try to convince ourselves it's OK to sow bad seeds in RESPONSE to being offended or sinned against. But, even then, we must die. We must sow righteousness, not seek retrobution.

Hosea 10:12 - Sow for yourselves righteousness, reap the fruit of unfailing love, and break up your unplowed ground; for it is time to seek the LORD, until he comes and showers righteousness on you.

It's not even HOW we react to marriage troubles, it's HOW MUCH! Most of the time when I'm on the receiving end, I show mercy and grace for just a little while (1 times 1, instead of 7 times 70 times) and when the troubles continue, then I start sowing bad seed in response.

2 Corinthians 9:6 - Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously.

So, we're not just called to die a little, we're called to die alot. Jesus had to die so that we might live. In our marriage, we have to die so the marriage might live, whether it's our fault or not.

If there are lingering troubles in our marriages and from our perspective, they aren't "our fault", what are we sowing into those troubles? How are we sowing? How much are we sowing? These are the only things that we can control.