Whatsoever good thing any man doeth, the same shall he receive of the Lord. Ephesians 6:8
Have you heard of the law of the harvest? This law states that you reap what you sow; you reap more than you sow; and you reap later than you sow. Life is about sowing seed today and reaping the harvest tomorrow. The Lord reciprocates every good deed. He sees to it that we reap the treasure we invest in others. Whatever good we do for others, God promises to do for us. Reaping is simply receiving back that which we have sown. This law is universal—it works everywhere and with everyone.
Everyone longs for a nest without thorns—a place free from verbal barbs. We should look for reasons to praise our families. The Old Testament patriarchs pronounced blessings on their children: Isaac blessed his sons; Joseph blessed his children. These blessings were prophetic. Whatever the father spoke carried weight—it impacted his offspring. Those verbal blessings were translated into reality. The things they said came true.
We have power to bless or blast, delight or destroy, build up or tear down. What we say—or don’t say—influences others. We should speak blessing into our families—our children, our spouses, our grandchildren. Praise motivates and inspires. We must learn to compliment before we correct.
As we consider how to create Spirit-filled atmospheres in our homes, what are some ways we can bless our families by sowing good things into them?
Be gentle. Gentleness is the quality of being sensitive, kind, tender, or mild-mannered. It is the fruit of the Spirit that is founded on strength and prompted by love (see Gal. 5:22). Paul wrote to the Thessalonians, “We were gentle among you, even as a nurse cherisheth her children” (1 Thess. 2:7). People remember it when others treat them tenderly. Paul endeared himself to the saints by being gentle with them.
Be meek. Meekness became flesh in the person of Christ. He is the embodiment of wisdom. Meekness causes a person to consider his actions before acting hastily. Meekness is manifested in James 1:19: “Let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath.”
Meek people are easy to live with. They don’t have to have the last word. Meekness lends dignity to prudence and makes it easier for others to listen to us. Meek people don’t foster competition; they seek to compliment others. Meekness is a virtue that promotes camaraderie instead of combativeness. This lends to approachability. Interacting with the meek is a pleasant experience, and it invites intimacy rather than standoffishness. Meek individuals are quick to admit when they have been wrong, and they ask forgiveness.
Be patient. Has God been patient with us? Yes. Then we should bestow this virtue on family members. We shouldn’t make mountains out of molehills. All ongoing relationships require a degree of give and take. In order to take advantage of another’s assets, we must be willing to tolerate that person’s liabilities. We need to lighten up. Chill out. Relax. We don’t need to bring unnecessary stress and tension into our homes.
Be merciful. Have we been shown mercy? Yes! Then we should pass it on. We have been shown mercy in order that we may be merciful. We have been blessed in order that we may bless. We have been given to in order that we may give. The word “mercy” is referenced 276 times in the Bible. God is rich is mercy (see Eph. 2:4), so we should be as well.
Be encouraging. We should be generous with our compliments, applaud effort, and celebrate accomplishment. God loves praise, and so do our spouses and children! We can look for opportunities to lavish praise in our homes. An encouraging spirit can be developed through purposeful effort. Those given to an overly analytical outlook must work to overcome their natural proclivities.
Jesus had such a gracious spirit that sinners were comfortable in His presence. He spoke truth to the woman at the well about her moral status, but He communicated it in such a manner that He drew her to salvation. He never condoned sin or offered false praise. Unlike the Pharisees, His spirit attracted people instead of repelling them. What a model of grace and truth. A critical spirit may come naturally to some of us, but we have supernatural resources to overcome it. We should make sure people smile when we enter a room, not when we leave it!
Happy homes are not an accident. They are the consequence of deliberate effort. By implementing this amazing principle of blessing others, both we and our families will experience incredible blessing, “knowing that whatsoever good thing any man doeth, the same shall he receive of the Lord.”
Action Points
- Do you believe that God rewards in kind—that the things you do for others God will do for you? The thing you give is the very thing you will receive.
- Pick from the following qualities and start investing in your family: gentleness, meekness, patience, mercy, or encouragement.
- The more we sow, the more we reap. Sow abundantly, and reap accordingly.
