Whatever I Sew, That Will I Also Rip

By: Donna Martin

For the past week I have been working on a sewing project.  I was really excited to get started on the project.  It was something that I had been looking forward to doing.  I started with great enthusiasm pouring all my time and effort into the project.  I wanted to get it done quickly because I was excited to see the finished product.  However, as I began to sew, I also began to rip.  Sometimes I was not paying attention; sometimes I was in a hurry, sometimes I even listened to people who gave me bad advice.  Each time that happened out came the seam ripper and I would have to undo all my progress and redo what I had just done.  My motto for sewing became “whatever I sew, that will I also rip!”   There was really no one to blame for all my mistakes except myself.  I was the sewing the stitches incorrectly and cutting the fabric so that the pieces did not fit together, and I chose to listen to the person at the fabric store who had no idea what I was trying to accomplish.

Galatians 6:7 tells us that “God is not mocked, whatsoever a man sows, that shall he also reap."  This is true in our family relationships.  Sometimes we get careless and say unkind words, or we get in a hurry and snap at our spouse or children.  Sometimes, when things are not what they should be in our homes, we look to the wrong people or resources for advice.  When this happens we “reap” conflict, hurt feelings, misunderstandings, and more unhappiness in our homes. As the passage in Galatians continues it says, “The one who sows to please his sinful nature, from that nature will reap destruction…”  There is no one to blame for our actions but ourselves.  We have to confess ask for forgiveness and start all over again.

The rest of the Galatians passage offers us hope for restoring broken relationships in our families.  It continues… “the one who sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life.”  As we make choices to follow the advice God gives us in the Bible, then we can help our homes be a little like heaven on earth. 

The rest of the passage gives great encouragement for helping us have peace in our relationships at home and anywhere for that matter.  “Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.  Therefore as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.”  (Galatians 6:9-10)

The Martins currently present “Happy Together” marriages seminars for churches and organizations.  To schedule a seminar call Michael at 940-735-1515. They also publish a weekly “Happy Together” Blog about family and marriage issues.  You can order copies of their new books Dancing With Death and 366 Tidbits We Have Learned in 14,610 Days of Marriage, read, and subscribe to their “Happy Together” Blog by logging onto the Martin’s website at www.happytogethermarriage.com.