Galatians 6: 9
Let us not lose heart in doing good for in due time we shall reap if we do not grow weary.
My swim coach taught us that practice hurts less than losing so I learned to love practice. My basketball coach taught that you play like you practice so I learned to practice at full speed. These were good life lessons that have served me well.
Our heavenly Father is a coach too. One thing which has been very evident to me recently is that He will give you a chance to practice your theology. I very much believe in the spiritual law of sowing and reaping. I speak it, I teach it. So, God created a couple of opportunities for me to teach this principle as well as to practice my theology. It’s one thing to have a minister preach a topic and quite another to have to live it out. Last week I taught about one of my favorite spiritual weapons, giving. When the devil is really seriously in your stuff pull out your checkbook and give to an anointed ministry. He hates that. Today’s verse is in the same vein. It tells us just to keep on giving for in due time we will reap. So, don’t sow looking for the crop. Sow in faith because it sometimes takes a bit of time for the crop to manifest. It works exactly like a garden. You don’t plant a seed one day and pick the vegetables the next. It takes a little time. Well, another adage might be, don’t preach a topic that you don’t want to have to live. So, last week I taught about sowing and the Father gave me some opportunities to practice what I preach.
I went to Waffle House one day last week. I was eating my breakfast and reading my book when there was a big hullabaloo down the bar from me. A gentleman had just seated himself and announced that it was his birthday and whatsmore, it was his 60th birthday. The people around him clapped and cheered and as I looked at him I could tell that it was important to him. Then, eureka, a thought came to me, “Buy his meal.” Okay, that isn’t so hard. I asked his server to bring me his ticket and I would pay for it. She really enjoyed being a part of the blessing. As I paid I asked her to mark the ticket “Paid” and write Happy Birthday on it and then give it to him. She said, with a big smile, that she had already thought of that. It was a good experience. Later in the week I realized what God had done. He let me practice the message I gave someone else. Okay, cool!
Then yesterday I was driving to an appointment when I witnessed something interesting. I was stopped at a traffic light and a truck turned left in front of me. As he entered the lane of traffic I saw a woman standing in the median waving him down. The lady was from a McDonalds across the street. This guy had driven off without his drink and she ran him down in the street with his drink and a straw. It was amazing. I mean, how often does that happen? Then I heard a thought cross my mind, “You ought to go give that lady a $1 tip for showing excellence in her job.” Well, I wasn’t opposed to the idea but I was running late so I relegated the thought to the back of my mind. After my appointment I had to drive right by that McDonalds. I felt a tug towards it but I don’t usually eat fast food so I blew it off. I turned the corner headed to the highway ramp when that whole situation came back to my mind loud and clear. So I turned into the shopping center and went to McDonalds and gave the lady the $1 tip from God. There were two managers standing there with big smiles on their faces and they actually did cheer this lady. Again, it was cool.
The moral of the story is be careful what you teach or preach because God is going to give you a chance to practice your theology. It you preach on giving, be prepared to be a giver. If you preach on prayer, get used to praying. God would have us lead by example rather than from command. Don’t tell others to do something you are unwilling to do yourself. God is growing champions but they are forged in the fires of doing rather than the talking. Be ready. It is time for practice.
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