Today's Daily Lesson comes from Galatians chapter 6 verses 6 through 10:
6 Let the one who is taught the word share all good things with the one who teaches. 7 Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap. 8 For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life. 9 And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up. 10 So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith.
It's Pledge Season around church and we are asking our folks to make their commitments to the congregation for 2017.
In America nobody is compelled to give anything to the church, which is the way we Baptists believe it ought to be. Though, I do realize it is for this reason that they say, "Money talks, but around the church it only whispers." Oh well, God has always been sufficient unto the day and I bet always will be.
But there is one group that today's Lesson has me thinking of and wanting to talk to. This is the group that has either dropped out of church or soon will.
Mostly it's not a conscious decision. There are more backsliders in the church than there are people who intentional dive off of the prow. It's mostly a Sunday here and a Sunday there and pretty soon they have joined the C&E denomination -- Christmas and Easter only. Next thing they'll be saying is that they "just aren't being fed" at their current church. No kidding. It's hard to be fed when you ain't eating! This has all been true in every church I've ever been in -- from sleepy little family churches to great big Texas-size.
"God is not mocked." "For whatsoever a man soweth he shall also reap." In other words, you get out of it what you put into it. Really, you get a lot more. But it takes time. The seed has to be first planted and watered with both the early and the late rains. The crop has to be waited on -- patiently and with persistence. In a world where we can get just about anything we have a mind to eat on demand, the spiritual food comes slow and only in its own due time. It's no wonder so many drop out.
"Do not grow weary in doing good." In other words, don't grow weary in showing up, and putting in. Not much happens after a month or year or maybe even five; but there is a harvest to be had in that little plot of earth we call church.
There is harvest, that is, if we're willing to wait on and work for it.
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