A wealthy landowner had two servants. One of the servants was selfish, looking out only for his own desires, while the other was selfless and only wished to please his master. One day, the landowner decided that he wanted to use his fields to grow corn. He brought his servants together, handed them each a bag of money, and said, “Go into town and buy some seed for corn. When you have done so, plant those seeds and watch over the fields until it is time to harvest the corn.”
The servants left for town to buy the seeds. The selfless servant headed straight for the market and bought the seed according to his master’s wishes. But the selfish servant decided to stop and use some of the money his master had given him for his own pleasures. After satisfying his own desires, he went to the market to buy the seed. When he got there, he only had enough money left to buy seed that was old and rancid. “I’m sure my master won’t know the difference,” he thought. He bought the seed and returned home along with the other servant. The servants each sowed the seed that they had purchased.
When harvest time came, the seed planted by the selfless servant had grown and produced corn that was large and sweet, which greatly pleased his master. He told the servant, “You have done well. As a reward, take as much of the corn as you wish.” But the seed planted by the selfish servant grew corn that was small and completely inedible. This angered the master, who said, “You lazy, selfish servant! You have deceived yourself only. I know that you have looked out for your own selfish desires and, by doing so, you have turned up your nose at me. The corn that you have sown has been sown out of your own corruption, and it is with this corrupted corn you will be rewarded.”
Galatians 6:7-8 tells us that God cannot be mocked. If we believe that we can turn our noses up at Him by continuing to sow the seed of our own selfish, worldly desires and still receive the harvest of eternal life, then we are only deceiving ourselves. We will reap only what we sow. If we sow to the flesh, then we will reap the destruction and ruin that comes from the flesh. But, if we sow to the Spirit, then we will reap the benefits of the Spirit. Our lives will bear the fruit of the Spirit– love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. And the harvest that we will reap will be eternal life.
A Worshiper's Journal 