This passage is often quoted to teach the importance of focusing on spiritual things, but I believe that these verses teach other lessons as well.
For example, notice that effort is often required before the reward is seen. Oddly, many people seem to think that blessings should come without requiring anything from them beforehand. In reality, it does not work that way.
In marriage counseling, couples are often told to “act as if you are in love”. Why? Well, when each person takes responsibility to “Go first” and to treat the other with love, then that attitude will likely grow in the relationship. However, if both sit back and wait for the other to treat them well, nothing good happens. This “Go first” principle applies in any relationship. You can often improve things by going first and doing the things that you wish others would do. If you wait for everyone else to treat you properly first, you may be waiting a long time.
Note, too, that we are encouraged to keep trying. Farmers in New Testament times did not sow seeds as farmers do today. Back then, the farmer would “broadcast” the seed by throwing handfuls of it everywhere. He sowed generously and expected some of it to do something good (see 1 Corinthians 9:6-11). I like that picture! Our job is not to try once and then quit if nothing happens. We are to go about doing the good we can do, day in and day out, trusting that God will give us a good result in “the proper time”. As someone once noted, “The only thing that can hinder our harvest is letting ourselves grow weary”.
While there are no guarantees, in most cases you can make things better by simply going first and living out the love of God.
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