NEVER GIVE UP: Part 1

"In running, it doesn't matter whether you come in first, in the middle of the pack, or last. You can say 'I have finished.' There is a lot of satisfaction in that."
-Sam Mussabini

Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. The one who sows to please his sinful nature, from that nature will reap destruction; the one who sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life. Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.

Galatians 6:7-10 (NIV)

            The year was 1941. Sir Winston Churchill stood before the students and faculty at Harrow, his alma mater. The nation of Great Britain had endured severe hardship as it stood alone against the onslaught of Nazi Germany. The war was far from over but there was hope on the horizon. As he brought his short speech to a close he challenged the students with these words. “Never give in. Never give in. Never, never, never, never--in nothing, great or small, large or petty--never give in, except to convictions of honor and good sense. Never yield to force. Never yield to the apparently overwhelming might of the enemy.”

            We are engaged in a great struggle; not a military or political struggle but a spiritual struggle. Paul makes our struggle clear in Ephesians 6:12. “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.” We are in a spiritual contest with eternal consequences. At times the struggle may seem overwhelming. There are times when discouragement sets in. There are times when we are tempted to throw in the towel. At those times Paul echoes the words of Churchill, Never give up. Never give up. Never give up. Those are important words for us as we run the race of life. Paul gives us some insights into running the race well.

            As we run the race we need to make wise spiritual investments. Galatians 6:7-8 says, “Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. The one who sows to please his sinful nature, from that nature will reap destruction; the one who sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life.”

            In 1974 Harry Chapin released the song “Cats in the Cradle”. In that song he effectively and powerfully pointed out how important it is for us to make investments now that will shape the future. The first verse and chorus of the song sets the stage.

My child arrived just the other day
He came to the world in the usual way
But there were planes to catch and bills to pay
He learned to walk while I was away
And he was talkin' 'fore I knew it, and as he grew
He'd say "I'm gonna be like you dad
You know I'm gonna be like you"

And the cat's in the cradle and the silver spoon
Little boy blue and the man on the moon
When you comin' home dad?
I don't know when, but we'll get together then son
You know we'll have a good time then

The last verse articulates the message powerfully.

I've long since retired, my son's moved away
I called him up just the other day
I said, "I'd like to see you son if you don't mind"
He said, "I'd love to, Dad, if I can find the time
You see my new job's a hassle and kids have the flu
But it's sure nice talking to you, Dad
It's been sure nice talking to you"

And as I hung up the phone it occurred to me
He'd grown up just like me
My boy was just like me

            The investments we are making in life today are shaping our tomorrows. Paul reminds us that there is something called the law of the harvest. We may not want to come to grips with it but it is in force none the less. The law states that what you sow is what you will reap. That is true of corn and wheat and ideas and character traits. Paul warns us to not be deceived. Although popular opinion tells us that we don’t have to worry about the consequences of our action, the truth is that we will reap what we sow.

            I recently read a fascinating and irreverent book titled The P.I.G. to English and American Literature. P.I.G. stands for Politically Incorrect Guide. The sub-title of the book is “What your college professor never told you.” The premise of the book is that as a society we have been deceived by those who would rewrite history to make it politically correct. As a whole our society wants us to believe that we can do whatever we want and never face the consequences. It just isn’t true.

            Paul warns not to be deceived because God cannot be mocked. God has set in motion certain unalterable laws by which life itself sets its course. We disregard these laws at our own risk. The word “mocked” literally means “to turn up your nose at” or “to disregard or fool”. We may turn up our noses at God or try to disregard Him but we cannot fool God. He always sees things exactly as they are, not as we want them to be. Even if we try to deny the truth God will apply the truth to us in the end.

            The truth in life is that a person reaps what they sow. If you plant corn in your garden you get corn. It is illogical to expect green beans. There is a delightful movie called “Second-hand Lions”. It is the story about two old men who “inherit” a young boy for the summer. At one point a salesman sells one of the men on the idea of planting a garden. He sells him seeds for all kinds of wonderful vegetables. As they plant the seeds they place the package at the end each row so they will know what it is. As the plants begin to develop they make a startling discover. Everything that they planted was corn. It didn’t matter what the package at the end of the row said. All that they had planted and cared for was corn.

            The kind of a person we will be in the future is determined by what we do now. If we plant the seeds of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness and self-control, then we will reap a harvest of righteousness. But if we plant the seeds of bitterness, strife, anger, selfishness, pride and greed we will reap a harvest of pain and remorse. We do not magically become better people as we age. We become better people only through planting the right seeds when we are young. Bottom line, the law of sowing and reaping always holds true. Sowing seeds of sin and rebellion will produce negative consequences. Sowing seeds of righteousness will produce positive benefits.

            In this race of life we cannot afford to play games with God. Every day we are making investments in life. Every day we choose how we will spend our time, money and talents. Some of these investments are routine and seem small. They may be as simple as taking the time to talk with your child or to help someone who is struggling to get their groceries to their car. Some of these investments are major and grab our attention. We might decide to go on a mission trip or to contribute in a major way financially to some worthy cause. Each day as we make these investments we are faced with the choice of whether or not we will include God in our lives.

            We are responsible for the choices that we make in life. Although it is common to do, we cannot blame others for the bad choices that we have made. In many cases once we have made a choice we cannot go back and change it. Paul warns us to be very careful then with the choices that we make in life. We will either benefit from our choices or will face the consequences. Our choices, both large and small, shape our lives. There is a cumulative affect that compounds over time. It is like getting compound interest. Think of the choices that you make as spiritual investments. Every time you invest in something you accumulate interest or debt. Negative choices put you more and more in a spiritual hole. Positive choices compound in the form of good character and a positive reputation, as well as in God’s blessing on your life. Every choice that we make moves us either closer to God or farther from God. Invest wisely.