For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life. (Galatians 6:8 ESV)
Now
I saved some fruit gummy treats for too long. Perhaps I was eating less to be healthy. Perhaps I was forgetful. Perhaps I had too many hoarded at the beginning. But they sat in the cupboard for a long time. And they sadly turned hard, and tasteless.
It is easy to focus on the here and now. We understand cause-and-effect. And so we make our plans for today, hoping and expecting that our efforts will have good results… will bear good fruit.
The trouble is, that often our focus is in the here and now. Physical things. Financial things. Health things. Property things.
And those things are not necessarily bad….
But they will not last. They will fade way. They will be infested with rust, germs, age, and the effects of time and the elements. That is what it means to reap corruption. They are temporal and temporary. They will not be pure, but rather will eventually be corrupt.
No matter how careful we are.
But the things of the Spirit… things like love, joy, peace, patience, and the rest… those things will last. Particularly love. Which will be our main activity and attitude in eternity.
Now is not meaningless… but it is not eternal.
Only the things of God will last.