Please note that while the following begins with truths found in the Bible, this is not a religious discussion. Galatians 6:5-10 reminds us that what we reap, we will sow. Some have called this the “Principle of the Harvest,” others try to frame this discussion as Isaiah proclaimed (Isaiah 10:15) “Shall the axe boast itself against him that heweth therewith? or shall the saw magnify itself against him that shaketh it? as if the rod should shake itself against them that lift it up, or as if the staff should lift up itself, as if it were no wood.” Each iteration proclaims the same truth, where you invest, you shall gather the interest thereof.
I could stop right here, and the entire lesson will have been taught to those with ears to hear and eyes to see. However, there is something else I wish to communicate and will beg your attention a little longer, dear reader, for the principle of added upon does more than merely render unto a person that which they carefully sowed.
As a child, I grew up in a home full of abuse. Mental, sexual, physical, spiritual, if you can name the abuse, we suffered it. Carefully sown, this abuse has grown bitter fruit indeed. Except, those who planted were not only my parents; the fruits were bitter indeed for the receiver of the abuse and the deliverer of additional abuse. Shortly after working out a plan to commit suicide and failing, boy did I feel like a loser; I came to my senses and committed to breaking, forever sundering, the chains of abuse. I would not have my children raised in the turmoil, abuse, chaos, hate, strife, and pain I was raised in.
See, the investment principle is powerful. Interest must be paid, and the principle of added upon works like this:
If I act in a specific manner, it will be observed by those around me, and they will multiply my behaviors (for good or ill) 10-fold. Those who see this second generation of behavior will imitate that behavior 20-fold, multiplying and forever working to exceed the earlier behaviors observed.
The principle of added upon works in other ways. In the 90s, I read a research report about how high school students who thought cheating acceptable stole from their employers. But, the children of those who stole from their employer took the behaviors of theft and added upon them to steal purses, rob stores, murder, lie, and cheat, all with no abandon. The interest came from the behaviors of the original sin of cheating on a test in high school, and the fruit destroyed potential lives.
But, I am not without hope in discussing the principle of added upon, as the reverse also occurs. A dear friend of mine was raised by his single mother, his father was an alcoholic, and there were generations steeped in abhorrent behavior. Yet, my friend broke the chains, invested in learning, and his children were free of the evils of abuse, alcoholism, and sexual abuse and were raised in a nuclear family. My friend worked exceedingly hard and continues his efforts to protect, teach, guide, mentor, and build his children into productive and valuable members of society.
The principle of added upon holds such power as to bloom potential in the darkest abyss, bringing light, life, and deliverance to future generations. Why is this important right now; America is in trouble. Too many have sown seeds of destruction and are reaping the whirlwind as natural consequences. Too many broken homes, too much welfare destroying the principle of work, too many imaginations have uprooted common sense and decency for the politically easier path, and so much more. Personal interest fuels wars, contention, strife, and every social ill from coast to coast.
Consider this, the government “Of the People, By the People, and for the People” has intentionally been sown with seeds of complacency, bureaucratism, hate, envy, strife, malice, and abuse of all kinds and flavors, done in the name of securing power and personal wealth. That which the government has sown is being reaped in her citizenry, and the citizen’s tears must be answered by those wielding government power for personal gain.
Much has been written about Liz Cheney’s recent loss, and the personal wealth garnered while serving in the US House of Representatives. Some have called this karma; others believe it is a heaven-sent miracle. I hope that which she reaps will build a new person. How many of us are in a similar position? We have sown, and are praying, hoping, wishing that the fruit of our labors is not bitter?
I have some suggestions, and I hope you may find peace in some of all of these thoughts. Please take the time to learn, and choose the seeds you sow more wisely.
- If you hate who you are right now, do you want to change? Do you desire the ability to change with every fiber of your being? Do you want to change your consequences? If the answers are YES! Then make a choice to change, and start rooting out the seedlings sown. This alone is a good first step, but it will not be easy; yet I echo words from the master teacher, it IS worth it!
- Start RIGHT NOW! I cannot emphasize this point enough. Procrastination is the enemy of change, as surely the enemy of food is a starving beggar. How do you start? Forgive yourself, commit to change, and begin acting. Even if you think you are incapable of changing, let the desire feel your mind, write down your ideal person, and start rooting out the weeds and bad behaviors of sown seeds.
- Ask for forgiveness, and render forgiveness. Saying sorry and committing to not repeating destructive behaviors are HARD. But, the German axiom is well remembered, “The hard IS good!”
- Forgiveness will eventually bring the fruit of forgetting. Please, be kinder to yourself and others, forgiving and repenting daily. How do you change the past; you practice forgiveness and repentance in the present, and the future will shine brighter, eventually.
I was privileged to hear a person speak about hourglasses in my youth. When trying to change, we are in the bottom glass, and there is plenty of room. But, as we swim against the tide coming down, the space diminishes until we are in the neck of the hourglass. If we can but hold onto the change we desire, then as we exit the neck, still moving upwards, we get a little more space from the problems and troubles, the tide pulling against us lessens as we get further from the neck, and the added room provides places of safety. The hourglasses stacked on top of each other form the pattern, and we can succeed gloriously, as we were not created to fail!
If you need more help, confidence, or a shoulder to lean on (but not rest), choose someone as committed as you are to change and make them central in your life. You CAN do this! Believe, and then go to work!
© Copyright 2022 – M. Dave Salisbury
The author holds no claims for the art used herein, the pictures were obtained in the public domain, and the intellectual property belongs to those who created the images. Quoted materials remain the property of the original author.
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