You reap what you sow

Just as any good parent would, so also our Father in Heaven has given His children guidelines on which to live by. Are these rules there to exercise power and control over His children, or are they there to prevent pain and hurt that can last a lifetime? God gave only one commandment to Adam and Eve in the garden, they were not to eat of that one tree that was in the midst of the garden, the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. As responsible parents we teach our children not to cross the roadway because of the danger being hit by traffic. We set rules, don't touch, don't eat that, don't talk or go with strangers etc. The child may not fully understand why parents make those rules, but the parents know, mostly from their own experiences. Although these rules are in place, children will break them any chance they can get, just as Adam and Eve did in the garden. They knew not to eat the fruit of that one tree, but were deceived and tricked through the lie of the Serpent/Satan. God told Adam that the day they would eat of that fruit, they would die. Satan challenged the word of God and deceived Eve with a lie, saying, "has God really said?" and he went further, saying to her,  "you surely will not die". They believed the lie Satan told them and did what God had forbidden them to do, they ate of the tree. Did they die the moment they ate? No. Was Satan telling them the truth? No. When God said that they would die, He meant spiritual death. Because of their disobedience and not listening to God, they reaped the consequences of their disobedience i.e. spiritual death and eternal separation from God. Just as any parent would punish and discipline their child when they break the rules, God had to punish Adam and Eve for their disobedience. God knew the consequences to come if they would eat of the fruit, and as a loving Father He warned them. Through this one act, sin entered the world, resulting in them being cast out of the garden and being separated from God spiritually who once walked with Adam. As we all know, things got worse from their, the first recorded murder, Cain killing his brother Abel. Can you imagine how Adam and Eve must have felt when they realized the consequences their disobedience brought forth, seeing the blood of Abel shed by his brother? Adam and Eve reaped what they sowed. Parents have their best interest for the children, knowing that if they do disobey and break the rules, consequences will follow. Ever action has a reaction. We reap what we sow. Parents should teach children not to experiment  with drugs and alcohol and everything else society is offering to them. Today's world is driven by the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eye and the pride of life and many have fallen into the trap and have bought into the lie. I'm sure that many of us who read this know that to be true, early on in my life I drank alcohol, smoked cigarettes, did drugs, had sexual relations etc. We are taught by society that it is all in good fun, seeking pleasure and self fulfillment is what everybody else does. Looking back at my life today, I admit that some of things were very pleasurable, but with these pleasures also came consequences later on in my life, I was addicted to alcohol and drugs and because of sexual behaviors outside of marriage went from one relationship to another. Nothing ever really satisfied, and than there was always the next day, hangovers, another break up you name it. None of these pleasures that the world has to offer ever satisfy, people are searching for the next best high, but will never really find it. Our parents knew what would happen if we go a certain route, warning us but we chose not to heed the warnings of our parents and others. God knows the consequences sin can bring into our lives and warned us just as He warned Adam and Eve long ago in the garden.  But many did not listen, ignoring God, even denying God, going after the world following the deceiver and his lies. Today we see the devastation from disobedience in our society and many other places around the world. I think Paul puts it best when he wrote in Romans: "And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient; being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers, backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, without understanding, covenant breakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful: who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them." Romans 1:28-32

That sounds just like today's society, the result of not heeding God's word and trying to remove God and His wisdom from everyday life. We see the consequences thereof, "You reap what you sow."

"Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life." Galatians 6:7, 8

God has given all of us a free will to choose, but certain choices that one makes in life will bring also consequences that may last a lifetime. It is never to late to turn from a life of the flesh and turn to God our heavenly Father. You may say, I am too far gone and God is so far from me. How far is God the Father from you? All it takes is to turn around and He is right there, with open arms and willing to forgive and love you. How can I know God loves you and me? Just look at the cross and you know God's love for us, He gave His only Son, that through Him we have forgiveness and eternal life.

"For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life." John 3:16