"Leaving a Lasting Legacy" in American Sign LanguageSample

Sow Generously to Reap Generously
By Rick Warren

“Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.” (2 Corinthians 9:6-8 NIV)

When it comes to your giving, there are two principles you need to remember, and they’re based on 2 Corinthians 9:6-8: “Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.” (NIV)

This is the principle of harvest: What you sow, you’re going to reap — for good or for bad. Whatever you plant, that’s what you’re going to get back. That’s true about money, but it’s true about everything else. If you sow criticism, people are going to criticize you. If you sow gossip, guess what? Others are going to gossip about you. If you plant resentment, people are going to resent you.

Whatever you need more of, give it away, and you’ll get more back. Do you need more energy? Then you have to exercise. Do you need more affirmation in your life? Give it away. Start affirming other people.

If you take a kernel of corn and plant it in the ground, do you get one kernel back? No! I’ve actually planted corn in my yard before. When you plant one kernel in the ground, you don’t get one kernel back. You get a stalk with a bunch of ears and thousands of kernels. When you plant an avocado pit, it grows a tree. Do you get one avocado back? No. You get hundreds back. You always get back more than you put in.

The second principle is that there’s always a delay between planting and harvest. When you plant a seed in the ground, do you get an ear of corn the next day? Of course not. You plant in one season, and you harvest in another. The same is true in giving. You give to other people. You give to God. You give your life away, but do you reap the results the next day? No. There is a season of waiting before God gives you the harvest. Why? He’s testing your faith to see if you’ll trust him while there’s a delay between planting and harvesting.

While you’re waiting and planting, you can trust that God will provide grace so that “having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.”

Talk It Over

How are you sowing generously? How are you sowing sparingly?

What keeps you from trusting God when he delays your harvest?

What can you do while you’re waiting on results from your giving?