A few days ago, I got up for my morning workout, and a quick look out my window had me convinced. I thought I had overslept because it was so bright outside! A check of the clock said otherwise, but later that day I learned that I had witnessed the Harvest Moon.
For those of us who are not moon experts, the Harvest Moon comes just before or just after the Autumnal Equinox, often providing extra time for the harvesting of summer-grown crops for farmers and their crews.
While most of us aren’t setting our calendars by the agrarian cycle (plant, tend, harvest), we are all farmers. We are farmers of our hearts. We are planting seeds, tending those seeds, and reaping the fruit of those seeds.
The Scripture tells us about the reality of reaping and sowing. The Apostle Paul took a truth that people in his audience would understand, and he made a spiritual application.
Galatians 6:7 reminds us, “Don’t be misled—you cannot mock the justice of God. You will always harvest what you plant.” Similarly, 2 Corinthians 9:6 tells us to “Remember this—a farmer who plants only a few seeds will get a small crop. But the one who plants generously will get a generous crop.
I didn’t grow up on a farm, but I learned about the dangerous farming I was doing several years ago. During an especially difficult season in my church, I became very angry and cynical about the church. I didn’t process the loss of idealism, disappointment, and confusion well. Looking back, I believe I sowed anger and cynicism in my heart.
Years later, though, I began to harvest the fruit of that experience, and that harvest included a lot of bitterness. This bitterness damaged not only me but others around me, too. Because I was so bitter, it was difficult to let go of where I’d been and what happened there. By holding on and not letting go, I was unable to embrace a new, more healthy experience.
As I was reflecting on that moon and my life, I made a list of five dangerous things we sometimes plant in our hearts:
- Unrestrained anger. In James 1:19-20, James tells us that “You must all be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry. Human anger does not produce the righteousness God desires.” Unrestrained anger leads to bitterness and broken relationships.
- Comparison. If any sin is specific and pervasive in a world of social media and 24/7 access to each other’s lives, it’s comparison. In James 3:16, we read, “For wherever there is jealousy and selfish ambition, there you will find disorder and evil of every kind.” The seeds of comparison lead to the fruit of envy and discontentment.
- Worry. Worry is simply meditation on what might happen in the future. Many of us are better at meditating than we realize. In Philippians 4:6, the Apostle Paul writes, “Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done.” Worry leads to a greater sense of anxiety and unrest.
- Self-Centeredness. James rebuked his readers for self-centeredness when he wrote in James 4:3, “And even when you ask, you don’t get it because your motives are all wrong—you want only what will give you pleasure.” Self-centeredness leads to sinful decisions driven by a desire for pleasure.
- Idolatry. While few of us would say we’ve been planting idolatry in our hearts, we often fail to confess our idolatry because we don’t understand its modern manifestation. In his book Counterfeit Gods, Timothy Keller defines an idol in a unique way: “An idol is anything you seek to give you what only God can give.” When we pursue an idol in this fashion, we’re deeper in bondage than we realize.
How Do You Uproot What You’ve Planted?
- Confess your sin to God and someone else. In James 5:16, we read about the healing power of confessing sin to someone else. But we should also confess our sin to God. Until we confess that we’ve planted sinful seeds in our hearts, we won’t experience healing and transformation.
- Seek God’s help in uprooting the sin. In Psalm 51:10-11, we read about how King David turned to God after his murder of Uriah and assault of Bathsheba. He invited God to create in him a clean heart and renew a steadfast spirit within him. Heart change cannot remain a project we attempt on our own.
- Replace the sin with a healthier practice. We easily get fixated on what needs repented over and removed in our lives. Ephesians 4:28 reminds us of the potential power of replacing evil with good, “If you are a thief, quit stealing. Instead, use your hands for good hard work, and then give generously to others in need.” If a thief can use his hands to give generously, then we can replace our sins with healthier practices, too. We can replace comparison with gratitude, worry with worship, and self-centeredness with serving others
- Be on guard against future spiritual attack. “If you think you are standing strong, be careful not to fall.” Paul wisely reminded us to be on guard when we think we’re getting stronger and making progress. Even Jesus told a story in Matthew 12:43-45 about a demon that was removed from a man’s heart, only to return with reinforcements.
Galatians 6:7 says, “You will always harvest what you plant.” But by God’s grace, we can not only uproot what we’ve planted - we can also plant new seeds which bear spiritual fruit that points others to Jesus and comfort our hearts in times of need.
Scott Savage is a pastor and a writer. He leads Cornerstone Church in Prescott, Arizona. Scott is married to Dani and they are the parents of three “little savages.” He is the creator of the Free to Forgive course and you can read more of his writing at scottsavagelive.com.
