“Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for whoever loves others has fulfilled the law” Romans 13:8 (NIV).
I’m pretty good at living out the principles of reaping what I sow in the big areas of life, but I need to remember that the “little things” count just as much. Forgetting sometimes to find the joy in all stages of my children’s growth, working overtime for the third time this month when I would rather be spending time with my family, or pushing the snooze button one too many times and missing my devotions or a chance to work out before the rest of the family wakes up. I need to be reminded that my actions set the tone for our household. If I am consistently griping about extra work, overtime, or have a bad attitude about life in general, I’m reinforcing that lifestyle, or cycle, for future generations.
Positivity can be caught just as easily as a negative spirit. I have to ask myself, “What traits do I want my children to ‘catch’ from me?” What attitudes do I want my household to reap? One trait in particular I’m working on reaping is grace. I want our household to overflow with grace. Instead of turning a minor inconvenience into an all-day calamity, I want my attitude, my facial expressions, and my overall demeanor to ooze grace to those I love, spilling out to friends, extended family, and strangers.
I’ll ask you the same question. What characteristics do you want to see develop in your children…in your own life? What traits do you want to be remembered as possessing? What is one simple change you can make today so that the harvest you reap overflows with blessings?
© 2013 Cheri Swalwell