What Does Sowing and Reaping Mean: 8 Insightful Bible Verses
Do you wonder about the concept of sowing and reaping? I often do, and decided to dig in and discover, “What does sowing and reaping mean?”
Sowing and reaping orginated with the planting of seeds ‘sowing’ and gathering of crops ‘reaping’. But the term is often used metaphorically, especially in the Bible.
Sowing and reaping imply that what you plant in your life is what will grow; a concept that is very logical.
When we plant or sow seeds, we expect a reward or proof that our efforts are not in vain.
Sowing and reaping in the Bible are used to illustrate that our actions have positive or negative consequences.
But is sowing and reaping that simple? Every time we sow good seeds, will we reap a good harvest? Do we control events, people, and circumstances?
In this post, I hope to unpack ‘What does sowing and reaping mean in the Bible?’ and explain how to apply the lessons to your life and relationships.
“So the one who plants is not important, and the one who waters is not important. Only God is important, because he is the one who makes things grow. The one who plants and the one who waters have the same purpose. And each one will be rewarded for his own work.”
1 Corinthians 3:7-8 NLT
My son wanted to grow a vegetable garden.
I wasn’t keen on the idea because I didn’t have a strong track record of caring for plants, but spending time with my son was worth investing in his newest project.
Behind our garage, we found an old, elevated garden box. He decided it was the perfect spot to plant seeds and watch them grow–sowing and reaping.
We purchased seeds, dug up the dry soil, planted them, watered the soil, and waited for the first sprout in our grand garden.
We had lengthy discussions about what to do with our huge crop of vegetables and herbs.
Then we waited and waited.
Unfortunately, despite our efforts and desire to see a thriving garden, we did not witness one sprout. There were no answers during this project to, what does sowing and reaping mean.
Had we planted bad seeds and watered enough, should we fertilize? Many variables that impacted the seeds’ growth were out of our control.
Although we were unsuccessful, admitted defeat, and moved on to his next big idea, I remember our experiment and how it relates to sowing and reaping in life.
Sometimes we sow many good seeds but do not reap a good harvest. We wait and wait, and it seems God is silent.
Discouragement and failure are frustrating results in gardens and life. But God is there even when our best efforts are not met with expected results.
He brings hope, encouragement, and peace.
What Does Sowing and Reaping Mean
When I raised my children, I thought the principle of sowing and reaping would work perfectly, like our vegetable garden.
If we planted good seeds by reading the right books, attending church, studying the Bible, praying together, and teaching good manners, gratitude, and humility, we would reap good kids — God-loving, morally upright, and accomplished.
We often expect that raising children is like planting good seeds, watering, and caring for a garden with guaranteed desired results. We would watch our plants sprout and develop into a beautiful shaded tree. We could carve our initials into that tree and then relax while sitting under the branches, feeling accomplished and proud.
But that isn’t a realistic goal. As parents, our job is to sow and care for our kids throughout the seasons they are with us, preparing them for their release.
God cares for our children immeasurably, is powerful and in control, but everyone has free will–including our children. We train them knowing they will leave and choose what kind of tree they will be.
We trust that we don’t know or understand the work that is happening in our child’s soul, heart, and mind. Only God knows.
We sacrificially sow into their lives and all of our relationships, and pray we reap goodness, but know it is not guaranteed–but we sow anyway.
Do You Reap What You Sow
Do you reap what you sow? Yes and No.
The principle of sowing and reaping is powerful and explains many outcomes. But not always.
Because we are imperfect, we sow imperfectly. And because we do not have ultimate control, what we reap does not fairly line up with what we sow.
“What we are today is the result of what we have been thinking and the way we have lived in the past. Those who act wisely today will have wisdom in the future to make wise decisions.”
Understanding sowing and reaping is beneficial and teaches us lessons on how to become more like Christ.
Here are four benefits that accompany sowing and reaping.
#1 When we surrender our complete life and our relationships to God, we experience spiritual freedom and reap a spiritual harvest.
#2 When we perpetually and intentionally build our trust in God, we release our resources to Him.
#3 We learn to be patient and wait on God’s timing.
#4 We move on from regret, bitterness, and unforgiveness when we do not experience the harvest we had hoped for in relationships.
“Be still in the presence of the Lord, and wait patiently for him to act.”
Psalms 37:7 NLT
What Does the Bible Say About Sowing and Reaping
The Bible uses the metaphor of sowing and reaping multiple times throughout the Old and New Testaments.
The power of this visual is significant and can be easily applied to real life situations.
8 Bible Verses About Sowing and Reaping
Here are eight powerful Bible verses about sowing and reaping.
“As long as the earth continues, there will always be a time for planting and a time for harvest. There will always be cold and hot, summer and winter, day and night on earth.”
Genesis 8:22 ERV
“If you plant goodness, you will harvest faithful love. Plow your ground, and you will harvest with the Lord. He will come, and he will make goodness fall on you like rain. But you planted evil, and you harvested trouble. “
Hosea 10:12-13 ERV
My people have planted wheat but are harvesting thorns. They have worn themselves out, but it has done them no good. They will harvest a crop of shame because of the fierce anger of the Lord.”
Jeremiah 12:13 NLT
“Jesus said to them, “My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me and to completely finish His work. Do you not say, ‘It is still four months until the harvest comes?’ Look, I say to you, raise your eyes and look at the fields and see, they are white for harvest.
Already the reaper is receiving his wages and he is gathering fruit for eternal life; so that he who plants and he who reaps may rejoice together. For in this case the saying is true, ‘One [person] sows and another reaps.’”
John 4:34-37 AMP
“The point is this: whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.
And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work.”
2 Corinthians 9:6-8 ERV
“Don’t be misled—you cannot mock the justice of God. You will always harvest what you plant.”
Galatian 6:7 NLT
“Whatever you do, do it wholeheartedly as though you were working for your real master and not merely for humans. You know that your real master will give you an inheritance as your reward.
It is Christ, your real master, whom you are serving.”
Colossians 3:23-24 GW
“And those who are peacemakers will plant seeds of peace and reap a harvest of righteousness.”
James 3:18 NLT
The Benefits of Sowing and Reaping
Whether we reap what we sow or not, there are immeasurable benefits of sowing good seeds.
We are called to love others, walk in wisdom, and not grow weary of reflecting our Christian identity regardless of outcomes.
Jesus’ greatest commandment, as He departed this earth, was to love one another. One way to love others is to first invest in our own lives and then in others.
Understanding the concept of sowing and reaping will impact us today and in eternity.
May God inspire and lead you to sow generously and reap the harvest of His unconditional love for you!
Author
Mary Rooney Armand
Mary is the creator and writer for the faith-based blog ButterflyLiving.org. Her writing is featured on multiple websites, and she is the author of the book Identity, Understanding, and Accepting Who I am in Christ and Life Changing Stories, a devotional collection available on Amazon. Get to know the authors of ButterflyLiving on YouTube.
