Are you familiar with the law of reaping and sowing? It is in the Bible, and one of the most commonly used and understood illustrations. Do you find that you only hear this phrase used in a negative sense? You hear it often enough when people’s bad habits and weaknesses catch up with them. How often do you hear it when someone excels and exceeds your expectations? Consider the real-world counterpart on which the illustration is based. For agriculture to work you need to sow seeds of value to raise a valuable crop.

Do you judge others? Do you judge yourself? Do you suppose that others judge you? You are correct in assuming that not everyone adheres to the principle of not judging others. If you see the benefit of judging yourself, is it possible that others see things in you that you are unable to see in yourself that would also benefit you? Do you know who you can trust? Do you have the courage to approach them and ask? Do you have the grace to receive what they say? If you are serious about ‘cleaning house’ you will enlist some help.

Do you believe that my word is quick and powerful, i.e. living? Do you approach it this way? What example did I set for you? In my famous sermon I quoted scripture as that which had been spoken since old time, love your neighbor and hate your enemy. I provided a fresh perspective when I said, but I say unto you, love your enemies. Would you have come to this conclusion from the original text? Was I correct? If the Bible is living would you expect it to yield only fixed meanings? I invite you to follow me.

My word cautions you that you conduct yourself so that your prayers are not hindered. How do you interpret this concept? Do you think it means that the amount and intensity of your prayers remains the same, and that I will ignore them? Or does it mean that your prayers will diminish in frequency and intensity? So is this more about me or about you? I will never reject you, but it is possible for your love to wax cold. Have you ever observed a reluctance on my part to answer your fervent prayers? Have you ever seen the quality of your own prayer life decline?