"IF" - The Biggest Little Word Ever! {Part 1}

How many times in a day do we use that little, tiny huge word "if"?  Especially as mothers!

You'll get hit by a car IF you don't look both ways.

You can't have friends over IF your room isn't clean.

You can't eat dessert IF you don't eat your dinner first.

You won't do well at your next piano lesson IF you don't practice.

This list could go on forever IF I had the time for it.

The point is that a lot hinges on that little word "IF".   In fact, so much hinges on it that we need to take heed!! 

Galatians 6:7-9 ~ 

Be not deceived: God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.  For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption: but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting.  And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not. 

We see that God has a few "IFs" for us here as well.

photo credit

First, we see we reap what we sow.  Everyone has heard the analogy of the apple seed:  IF we sow an apple seed we get apples!  Not oranges or bananas.  From that one tiny seed we get a huge tree with hundreds of apples each year.  That one seed produces thousands and thousands of other apples and seeds which can in turn produce more trees and more apples and the cycle continues on. 

So, IF we sow love and kindness in the lives of those around us we WILL reap it!  God promised!  And we will reap more of it than we sowed.  The same is true if we sow bitterness, discontent, or impatience.  We will reap those things as well and more of them.  Not what I want for my children.  So, we see that we get what we plant, and we get more than we plant.

What kind of seeds are you sowing today?  Seeds of bitterness or love?  Seeds of impatience or kindness??  You see, others are watching us.  Especially our children.  They want to be like us.  They will be like us someday.  Does that thought scare you?  It scares me!  Honestly, I don't want my children to be like me!  But they will be what I sow today.

Have I spent time laughing with my children?  Praying over them?

Have I spent time cleaning my home and planning healthy meals so that I can bless my husband and send him back out to his job rested and ready to serve the Lord??  

Have I done my best to encourage at least one person today?  

We will reap.  We will reap more than we sow.  We will reap after we sow.  

We may not be able to see the good {or bad} results of our actions now, but we will see them some day.  What will those results be?  Will we be satisfied or saddened by what we see?  But still - how can we keep going when it's so hard??   Are you "weary in well doing"??  So many mothers are!

Join me tomorrow as we look into how and why we can keep going!  Tomorrow is the "good stuff" - the best part!!  Do come back tomorrow to see the biggest IF ever!!

You might get a blessing IF you come back tomorrow.  =)  I was blessed by this thought!!

Click here to read part 2.

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