Christians talk about the law of sowing and reaping, for it is in the Bible, and one of the most obvious lessons of nature. In this day and age you could just as well talk about investment and return. The underlying principle is that effort brings forth results according to the nature and direction of the effort. The spiritual parallel is also obvious, but when people say you reap what you sow they don’t usually mean it as a compliment or affirmation. I want you to learn to think of this primarily in a positive sense. Farmers sow good seed with positive intention.

Are you familiar with the story of the wheat and the tares? In the context of the story these refer to individuals who are the children of the Kingdom and the children of the evil one. The workers propose to pull the weeds during the time of growth, but the master decides to wait until harvest for the separation to take place. Could the same concept be applied at a finer scale? Do you have activities in your own life that could be considered wheat, and others that could be considered tares? You don’t have to wait until the end of your life to make the separation.

How do you feel about yourself? How do you feel about yourself when you are around other people? This answer can vary widely depending on who you are with. Some people open the door for you to express your true self, even with your faults and vulnerabilities, and you find contact with them to be life-enhancing. They make you feel good about yourself. Others must prove themselves to be superior at your expense, and you feel exhausted and discouraged from being around them. Reversing the question, how do you make others feel about themselves? How do I make you feel about yourself?

Do you think of tribal identity and association only in the context of native peoples? But ancient Israel, known collectively as the one people of God, were divided into tribes. The principle is universal. You could look at the denominations that exist today and consider them as tribes within the overarching faith of Christianity, but the concept goes beyond even that. Have you ever connected with a group of people, even if they were strangers, who joined together over something that you were passionate about? Did this feel like coming home for the first time? Do you know your tribe?