“Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, this he will also reap.” – Galatians 6:7

Every decision you make, is a seed you’re planting in the ground. You’re either planting good seeds or bad seeds. Even the thoughts that you choose to entertain, are seeds that you’re sowing.

When you wake up in the morning with a heart full of gratitude and thanksgiving, you’re planting a good seed for the entire day. You’re showing the almighty God that despite of the way things seems, you’re grateful for the few things. When you’re grateful for the little things, God will inturn reward you and make you ruler over many things.

When you choose to entertain thoughts that are virtuous, honorable and of a good report, you’re planting a seed for peace, wholeness and joy. On the contrary, when you choose to meditate on things that are depressing, downcast and solemn, you’re planting dark seeds. You’re putting seeds of doom and gloom into the ground.

Remember, whatever you sow is what you’ll reap. If you’re putting seeds of faith into the ground, you’ll reap a harvest of manifestation. If you plant seeds of love into the ground, you’ll reap a harvest of love in return. If you sow seeds of mercy and forgiveness, you’ll reap more of the same.

Too often, we’re planting seeds that aren’t nourishing us… seeds of worry, fear and doubt. But we’re expecting a harvest of prosperity and abundance. And when we don’t reap the harvest we expect, we end up throwing in the towel.

But God wants you to experience a life full of joy and abundance. But in order to do so, you must remain faithful and plant good seeds.

If you’re looking for hope, put your hope in the LORD and He’ll renew your strength. Wake up in the morning with expectation, and declare hope and God’s anointed favor over your life. If you’re looking for joy, make a positive declaration. Say early in the morning that the joy of the LORD is your strength!

If you’re looking for peace, don’t give in to worry and anxiety. Instead, through prayer, thanksgiving and petitions, make your requests known unto the LORD. When you do so, God’s peace, which surpasses all understanding, will come to guard your heart and mind.

If you’re looking for direction, seek the LORD. Remember, God is a rewarder of those who diligently seek after Him. Choose to acknowledge God in all your ways and He’ll direct your path.

If you’ll plant good seeds ahead of time, the LORD will be merciful to deliver you into your season of harvest in due time. You will then experience more of the abundant life that God has for you, as you charge forth on your journey of life!

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If you’re like me, the smallest gestures are enough to brighten your day. If someone takes time to simply open a door for me, that’s enough to put a smile on my face.

But too often, we forget that it’s the little things that matter. Day in and day out, we get so busy with the hustle and bustle of the day that we over look the opportunities to extend a helping hand.

Showing random acts of kindness is one of the greatest ways to sow a seed to someone in need. Someone may have an emotional need. They may have a need for time and attention. Whatever the need is, make it a point to show at least one random act of kindness a day. It’s the gift that keeps on giving.

When you show little gestures of love, time and attention, you leave others wanting to do the same to another person in need. And then another wanting to show a kind gesture to another person. It’s a ripple affect. It’s the gift that keeps on giving.

‘The most amazing thing happens in rush hour traffic. When traffic is bumper to bumper, sometimes, the person ahead of you lets a car merge in from the merging lane. When this happens, you then feel compelled to do the same. When you let someone in front of you, then the person behind you feels obligated to do so… and so on and so on.

Why? It’s the gift that keeps on giving. It’s because one person showed a random act of kindness and it created a ripple effect.

Conversely, if no one let anyone in ahead of them, the merging lane would be backed up and no one would be able to get in. In the same way, the road of life is filled with too many people who are stuck trying to merge into the game of life. They’re looking for peace and tranquility. They’re simply looking for a light in a dark world.

Maybe you could be one of the ones to make a difference. Maybe you could be the light in a dark world that they’re looking to find. Who knows, your ability to show kindness and mercy to another individual could start a ripple effect for the better.

When you show favor towards another, you’re giving the gift that keeps on giving. And in turn, others feel compelled to perform a kind gesture in one way, form or fashion.

This holiday season and throughout the year, make a point to spread the gift that keeps on giving. When you do so, you will reap an abundance of blessings as you charge forth on your journey of life!

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You have the ability to bring about a positive change in every area of your life. You can be the catalyst that brings about total change in your environment.

From time to time, we find ourselves putting off certain responsibilities for the next person.  But God is looking for us to step outside of the mold. As ambassadors for Christ, He wants us to take initiative. He wants us to step up to the call of duty.

Maybe there was an opportunity to go against the grain. When everyone else is too busy to help someone in need, maybe you could be one of the ones to take time out of your busy schedule and lend a helping hand.

Maybe you could be one of the ones to do what everyone else is not doing. Maybe you have a service to offer. The world might say, “It’s crazy to offer your service for free.” But, I dare you to be bold and courageous. Remember, it’s not about what someone else can do for you, it’s about what you can do for someone else.

.Who knows, someone out may be in desperate need of the service you have to offer, but they may not have the resources to acquire it. My friend, what better opportunity is there to show compassion than this? I believe that God is moved with compassion for us, when we’re moved with compassion for others.

I’m reminded of the story about the Good Samaritan. It tells of a Jewish man who was traveling from Jerusalem to Jericho and was attacked by bandits. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him, and left him lying half dead along the roadside. By chance a priest came along, saw the man lying there and crossed the road to the other side and passed him by. Then a levite came along, saw him lying there, and he too crossed the road to the other side and passed him by.

But a Samaritan came along. And when he saw the man lying there, he was moved with compassion. He bandaged his wounds, put the man on his donkey and carried him to the nearby inn. He told the inn-keeper to take care of him. And on top of that, the Samaritan paid for his bill.

How many times do we find ourselves “crossing over to the other side of the road”? How many times are we too busy to show a little compassion? Maybe you could be one of the ones to offer a helping hand to someone in need. Don’t fall in the category of the priest and the levite in this instance. No, God is looking for some Good Samaritans.

Just like the priest and the levite, I’m sure this Samaritan had somewhere to go. I’m sure he was busy. But he had compassion for a good cause. You too can take on this same posture.

When you wake up in the morning your prayer should be, “Lord, put someone in my path today that I can help.” God takes pleasure when we pray bold prayers like this. It may not come in the form of a man lying on the roadside. It may be as simple as loving on someone who is down in despair or sharing a word of encouragement to someone in need.

Take initiative- Be the first to make a change. Don’t just go with the flow. Don’t fall prey to the bandwagon effect. No, make it a point to step above and beyond the call of duty and watch as God promotes you to a higher dimension as you charge forth on your journey of life!

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There is more than one way to sow a seed into the lives of others. One of the greatest misconceptions we have, is that the only way to sow a seed is through money.

There are many reasons one will sow a seed. One reason is to reap a harvest. Farmers and planters can tell you first hand, that if there is no seed sown, then no harvest can be obtained.  Another reason for sowing a seed, is the benefit of knowing that you’ve blessed someone’s life. There is nothing like the good feeling you get after knowing you’ve uplifted another individual.

So here are three ways in which you can get some seed in the ground without spending a dime.

1) Perform random acts of kindness – You should wake up everyday in expectancy and look for opportunities to bless someone. Be prepared. When there’s an opportunity to hold a door open for a stranger, jump on it. When there’s an opportunity to offer a helping hand, do so. If there’s a chance to let someone go ahead of you in traffic, don’t hesitate to perform it. There is great joy in doing these things!

2) Volunteer your time and efforts – Get involved in the community. Place yourself in environments where you can help people in need. Seek opportunities to serve the less fortunate. Find a mission group or non-profit organization who goes out into the community and does volunteer work. It may seem like extra work but the reward is priceless.

3) Words of affirmation – Your words have more weight than you’ll ever know. Once I read the book, “The Five Love Languages” by Gary Chapman. And one of the love languages is “words of affirmation.” It simply means, to build someone up by speaking positive and uplifting words into their life. Look for an opportunity to inspire others through positive words.

Now make no mistake, sowing money is a great way to get some good seed in the ground. If you feel led to sow money into someone’s life, by all means do so. But just know that money is not the only way to get seed in the ground. The main principle is, “what goes around comes around.” Whatever seed you sow, it goes to work for you. God sees your heart. And in due season, you’ll reap a harvest of blessing if you don’t give up.

Galatians 6:7 says, “Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, this he will also reap.” Look for ways to get some good seed in the ground and watch as the almighty God renders a tremendous harvest for you as you charge forth on your journey of life!

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Do you find yourself looking for ways to help others? Know today that there is something very liberating about showing random acts of kindness.

Throughout our day to day journey, it’s so easy to get wrapped up in ourselves. It’s easy to do the things that make us happy and make our day go smoother.

But I dare you to look for ways to show love to others. You can make a choice to be a light in a dark world. You can choose to be the Jesus that many have never seen.

In fact, 1 John 4:12 says, “No one has seen God at anytime. But if we love one another, God abides.” So as you can see, God is among us when we show love to each other. 1 John 3:18 urges us to not just say that we love one another but to show it through our actions.

When you seek ways to show love to others, it pleases the Father. And He abides in us when we have a heart of compassion for one another.

The world may not know Him, but they get a pure glimpse of Him through the love that we show. I want to encourage you to look for ways to show random acts of kindness.

You know, I can think back to a time when I was getting a soda out of the vending machine at work. This particular machine malfunctioned and instead of dispensing one drink, it dispensed two. I immediately thought, “wow, God has favored me! I get two for the price of one.” And so, being sensitive to the Spirit, I felt a strong urge to give the other drink to a friend. After I gave away the drink, I felt so much joy in knowing that I helped brighten a friend’s day.

Here’s the key- when you show love and kindness to others, it’s a win- win act. For them, it’s more than just the gift. I’m sure my friend could’ve went and bought a sixty cent drink on their own. But instead, it’s about the thought. For them, it’s the benefit in knowing that someone cares enough to brighten their day.

For you, you’ll experience the joy that comes with giving and showing love. Make a decision today and seek ways to show acts of kindness. In doing so, I believe you’ll experience great joy as you charge forth on your journey of life!

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When we pray for material things, we often forget that they come with a cost. We forget that God requires a sacrifice for everything.

Sometimes He requires the sacrifice up front, and other times the cost comes after the blessing is given.  For instance, in order to reap a harvest, you must sow a seed. It may not always be a seed in the form of money. The Lord may require a sacrifice of praise given unto Him, extra time or extra efforts put into a certain task.

Other times, the good Lord may require us to pay the cost after the blessing is given. In this instance, it may be in the form of maintenance. An example would be, If God blesses you with a house, acres of land, and a shiny new luxury car, you’ll required to keep them up.

My friend, I want to encourage you to always count the cost. It’s not that God doesn’t want you to have the things that you ask, it could be that He’s waiting on the right time to give it to you. That’s why He’ll test you first. He’s trying to see where your faith is- He wants to know that you handle the up-keep that it takes to sustain the blessings that He has in store for you.

Many people want more money, more power, more success or more material things but you should always count the costs. A wise man said, “with great power comes great responsibility.” The scripture also says, “to whom much is given, much is required.”

It may be that your faith level is not at the level of your blessing. In other words, you may not be sowing a big enough seed up front to meet the level that requires your blessing. Whatever you do always count the costs.

In your everyday actions, always count the cost. When you’re tempted to turn left when God says turn right, know that there is a cost for the disobedience. When you sow a seed of love into your neighbor life, you will reap a harvest in another area of your life.

The scripture says in Matthew 25:23, “He who is faithful over a few things, the Lord will make Him ruler over many.” It’s like the game of monopoly, you’re dealt a certain amount of cash up front. And throughout the course of the game, the object is to remain afloat and not go bankrupt while trying to make a living. The same applies to life. You have a duty to be faithful over that certain amount of cash that you’ve been dealt, and the Lord will make you ruler over many things greater things.

Consider the costs in every area of your life and make  the necessary adjustments. And as you do this, watch the Lord perform many miracles on your behalf as you charge forth on your journey of life!

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In this day in time, it’s not hard to distinguish the righteous people from the unrighteous. It’s becoming more and more rare to find those who are salt and light.

People should be able to determine if you are a child of the most high God by the fruit that you produce. All around us day in and day out we see fruit that is not of the Lord. People are power hungry. They’re in it for themselves. Everyone is in such a hurry that no one takes out time to lend a helping hand.

The scripture reminds us that you can identify people by the fruit they bear. Matthew 7:17,18 says, “A good tree produces good fruit, and a bad tree produces bad fruit. A good tree can’t produce bad fruit, and a bad tree can’t produce good fruit.”

Notice here that there’s no middle ground. In other words, you can’t wake up one day and say I’m going to bring glory to the Father by doing good deeds, then wake up the next day and do the exact opposite. No as God’s disciples, we must consistently bear good fruit.

From day to day, look for ways to be the positive change that you want to see in the world. Jesus says that you are the light of the world. You are to be an example for men to see their way. Remember, for someone out there, you’re the only Jesus they will ever see.

In John 15 Jesus says, “I am the vine and you are the branches.” It goes on to say that if the branches don’t bear fruit then they are cut off from the vine.

Throughout the scriptures we’re reminded of what fruit we should bear. It says in Galatians 5:22, “But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.”

Today, don’t miss the chance to extend a helping hand to a neighbor. Look for opportunities to bear good fruit. When you practice this way of living, God will reward you and bring unending favor upon you as you charge forth on your journey of life!

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Don’t be selfish; don’t try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves. – Philippians 2:3

I believe something miraculous happens to us when we learn the true art of putting others before ourselves. I believe without a doubt that God is moved by an humble heart.

One prayer that I pray each and everyday is that the good LORD gives me an opportunity to bless someone else. It’s my prayer, each morning when I wake up, that He puts someone in my path that I can help.

There’s a passage in John 13:1-17 where Jesus washed the disciples feet. In this particular passage we have to remember that it’s not about the washing of the feet, it’s about serving others. It’s about humbling ourselves so that we can uplift a brother or sister.

No matter who they are, where they’ve come from, whether rich or poor, young or old, we should look for ways to serve others.

I’m reminded of another passage in Matthew 25:31-46 where Jesus is teaching the disciples. He said when the Son of Man returns, he will separate the people as a shepherd separates his sheep from the goats. He will place the sheep at his right hand and the goats at his left. He called the sheep righteous and he cursed the goats.

He uses a great illustration in verses 34-36 as he grants the righteous ones access to his kingdom. He says”…for I was hungry, and you fed me. I was thirsty, and you gave me a drink. I was a stranger, and you invited me into your home. I was naked, and you gave me clothing. I was sick, and you cared for me. I was in prison, and you visited me.“

He goes on to say in verse 40, “…when you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were doing it to me!“

As you can see when we humble ourselves and put others before ourselves, no matter how great or small, it’s just as if were doing it to God. I encourage you my friend, as you go along your daily journey to look for ways to serve others.

Pray that God will put someone in your path today who you can extend a helping hand. In doing this not only will you bless others but you will bless the LORD. And in return, He will bless you mightily and give you increase as you charge forth on your journey of life!

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In the fast pace of life it’s easy to get caught up in the hustle and bustle of the day. Too often we get busy trying to meet deadlines or trying to cross the ‘T’s’ and dot the ‘I’s’ that we forget to look outside of ourselves and consider others in need.

In fact I believe one of the greatest gifts we can give is the gift of compassion. Remember, today as you go along your journey that you have the power to make someone’s day greater.

Sow a seed of sympathy and warmth for someone else. When you’re out and about, place it on your heart to extend kindness to someone. You’ll be surprised at the difference when you add others to the equation.

As we embark on a season of thanksgiving once again, we’ll start to hear all the commercials advertising opportunities to give contributions to local charities, food drives and fund raisers. These are great opportunities to give but wouldn’t it be nice to have this type of compassion on an ongoing basis.

Just because the holidays end doesn’t mean that someone doesn’t need a new pair of shoes. A couple canned-goods at the local Good Will at Thankgiving is great but what about those same people in the month of June.

Make a point to not only show compassion during those times when the T.V ads come on but during those times when there is no hope for those in need.

I encourage you to show compassion with a passion today. It may be as simple as helping a neighbor in need. It may be as simple as showing love and time to a loved one you haven’t seen in a while. Show consideration and kindness in a whole new way today as you charge forth on your journey of life!

If you liked this article, be sure to share it on Twitter and Facebook. If reading this article via email, forward it to a friend. Also stop by the site, leave a comment and participate in the online community.

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When you see a stranger on the street do you smile and give a kind hello to them or give them the cold shoulder? Are you quick to offer a helping hand for a neighbor or are you quick to mind your own business and go along your own way?

Well I believe that every little seed that you sow, is something that you’ll reap in one way or another. There is no gesture too small enough to make a difference.

You may say, “sure I’ll smile at a stranger, but will they smile back?” But just think of each gesture as a selfless way to change someone’s day.

You see, that stranger that you may have sowed into or helped may have not showed the courtesy back to you, but on the inside it could have spoken volumes. To them, just a simple act of kindness can be the thing to make their day.

To them, everything may have been going wrong from the time they set foot out the door. So remember, that even the little things like holding the elevator door open for someone or letting someone go ahead of you in the grocery store checkout can make a world of difference.

Remember that every little thing you do comes back to you, whether it be good or bad. The scripture says you reap what you sow. Another scripture says Give and it will come back to you.

You don’t have to give in the form of money. It can be in the form of time, talents, gifts or offering a helping hand. Be sure to offer a kind gesture to someone today as you charge forth on your journey of life!

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