"The sluggard does not plow in the autumn; he will seek at harvest and have nothing." (Proverbs 20:4)
The Good Life
Nearly everyone has a vision of the good life. We can all easily project out to our latter years. We all have an idea of the ideal future.
It will look different for each of us -- I have different dreams and aspirations than you do -- but there will be some common themes.
For instance, we would all likely desire to have strong, vibrant, and healthy relationships with the people we love. For my part, I want to be surrounded by my wife, my children, my grandchildren, and even great-grandchildren when I go home to God.
Or we might all wish for financial health. I do not mean wealth -- we do not all have a vision of that -- but of responsible stewardship of our finances.
Or we might want physical health. We are realistic about this desire, knowing that age and death get us all in the end. And we know that some sicknesses are not preventable. But -- especially in the ways we can control -- we might crave good health.
On and on the list could go. But we all have a vision of that good life. As we walk with God, that vision is adjusted.
For some of us, the vision has to be adjusted "downward." This means that many of us have visions of power, prosperity, and fame that have nothing to do with Christ and his kingdom. So then, God must steadily adjust our vision until it becomes what he hopes for our lives.
But for some of us, our vision must be adjusted "upward." That means that Christ must help us develop a better and more hopeful vision. Many human beings have been so discouraged by their past, and conditioned by their environment, that they fail to think any good could come of their lives. So Jesus might help this person dream of a life they never thought imaginable.
The Old Testament, Agrarian Perspective
The original audience of the Proverbs were the ancient Israelites, and they had a definite vision of the good life. Many words could describe their vision, but if you had to pick one word from our passage, it would be the word "harvest."
Their society, you see, lived off the land. Agriculture and livestock were in their blood. And God had brought them to a land flowing with milk and honey. Milk, because many cattle and goats and other livestock would thrive there. Honey, because bees would busily pollinate that which grew there.
So, for them, the vision of the good life was one of harvest.
But our proverb paints an unfortunate picture: "The sluggard does not plow in the autumn; he will seek at harvest and have nothing."
It is a simple proverb to understand. Because the sluggard did not want to work during the autumn, he found no harvest in the spring. He wouldn't plow and plant when the weather was bad, so he wouldn't enjoy any fruit when the time came. He might have had a vision for the good life. He might have wanted a harvest. But he got none because he did not plow in the autumn.
Everyone Loves a Harvest
What No One Ever Says
Now, in thinking about this verse, we must confess that everyone loves a good harvest. It is a rewarding experience to quietly and steadily work toward a goal and then experience the payoff. For Israel, it was a joy to eat and drink to the full because of a good harvest. Everyone loves it when life is good.
No one ever dreams of the non-harvest life. No one dreams of being an outcast by others. No one craves hostility in their closest relationships. No one wants financial ruin. No one longs for a fruitless ministry or life.
No. Everyone loves a harvest.
My Life Plan
A few years ago, I tried something I hoped would help me develop a godly vision of what the harvest life would look like for Nate Holdridge. I created a document called a Life Plan.
The life plan exercise begins with writing your own eulogy. The idea is to write down what you hope they will say about you after you're gone. For instance, I had much in mind about my relationship with my wife and daughters. I also wrote a bit about my pastoral work -- what I stood for, what I taught, and what I believed. And I had portions about my character because I want to live a godly life all the way through to the end of life.
Maybe I should read it to you. Nope. It's my eulogy. Get your own.
After writing my eulogy, I then broke my life up into eight or nine categories -- my spirit, my body, my marriage, my children, my key relationships, my work, and so on. Then I wrote under each heading what I envisioned for the future. It forced me to think through how each category is doing today and what I must do to improve them for tomorrow.
Accounts for Harvest
You might not spend much time and detail fleshing out your "harvest life," but it is healthy to allow the Spirit to craft a vision for where you are going. As you do, think of the different accounts or categories where you'd like to see a harvest. Dream about your relationship with God, your relationships with others, your career goals, your friendships, and on and on. These are the areas where you want to see harvests. In each, you will want life and health. You will want a harvest.
Because everyone loves a harvest.
But Not Everyone Loves Plowing in Autumn
Israelite Planting / Reaping Times
But, here's the thing, not everyone loves plowing in the autumn. Let me show you what I mean.
In Israel, "the autumn" was the time to plow and plant. Some translations say "the winter." The idea is that the farmer was bound to face some difficult weather. Conditions were not ideal. It would be hard to go out and plow the field during the autumn. But that was the time it needed to be done.
The Hard Time
We likely already knew that hard work precedes a harvest. Someone has to till and plow and plant and water and weed and work to get a harvest.
In a similar way, we know harvests in our life accounts are also preceded by preparatory work. Before a healthy savings account comes financial discipline. Before a good career comes an education. Before a loving family comes dedication, commitment, and care. Before a healthy marriage comes communication, faithfulness, and forgiveness. Before a fruitful ministry comes prayer and consecration.
Our Autumns
But, here's the thing, it's all hard work. And sometimes, the conditions of life make it tempting to skip out on the painful work. It's easier to leave a marriage than fight for it. It's easier to drop out than struggle for your degree. It's easier to neglect your family than it is to learn how to love them. It's easier to quit the ministry than to war for God's people.
But when we're in the autumn, we must work. We must work hard when it's hard -- and then the harvests of life will come.
A Reason I Believe in Exercise
This is one reason I believe physical exercise is an important practice for people in developed nations like ours. We can get by with sedentary existence.
But pushing yourself with exercise or physical training can help you learn how to work hard when life is hard.
I'm on to different physical and athletic pursuits nowadays, but I spent my thirties involved in the sport of trail running. I was never fast. I was never a top runner. Don't get the wrong idea. It was just amateurish fun. But I got myself to the point I was able to complete a handful of marathons and ultra-marathons in a reasonable time.
And one thing I learned through the training runs and race days was that you have to run when it's hard to do so. I could not skip out when it rained, when it was cold, when it was dark, or when I didn't feel like it. If I did, there was no way I could finish on race day. To get the harvest of finishing a race, I had to grind through the hard days.
This lesson has carried over to everyday life. I have learned to have hard conversations with my wife, even when I don't feel like it. I have learned to pursue my daughters even when it doesn't come naturally to me. I have learned to study and read, even when other things vie for my attention. I have learned -- and am still learning -- how to push through the desire to quit.
I am learning to plow in the autumn.
So everyone loves the harvest. But not everyone loves plowing in the autumn. But we must if we expect to live a harvest life.
Jesus Plowed in Autumn
At this point, it didn't take a Christian pastor to preach this message. God has written the law of the universe in such a way that anyone could observe that you've got to work to get a harvest.
Everyone knows this to one degree or another. We might always be tempted by diet pills that offer us the figure we want without any work, but in the back of our minds, we know it's too good to be true. We know the $75 an hour working from home job ads are a scam. We know.
So even nonbelievers say things like, "no pain, no gain." "Just do it," says Nike, knowing the reward comes after the hard work. We know we must work hard for hard to get harvests in life. It doesn't take Jesus or the gospel or the Bible to know that.
But what I've discovered is that I become capable of plowing in the autumn. I become able to work hard when it is hard because of Jesus. He is the One who enables me to do the hard work when no one is watching. And he can enable you as well. Here's how.
How Jesus Helps Us Work Hard
First, Jesus himself plowed in autumn so that he could receive a harvest. What do I mean? Jesus was not a farmer, but he did reap a harvest of souls. In fact, the harvests of physical crops are likely meant to point us to the true harvest of souls at the end of the age. As Hebrews says, Jesus did everything he did to bring "many to glory" (Hebrews 2:10).
But for Jesus to save your soul or my soul, he had to work hard during hard times. He had to become one of us, divesting himself of the privileges of his deity. He had to incarnate and live as a man. And then he had to suffer the agony of the cross. He had to die in our place so he could wash away our sins by his blood. And Jesus' cross was the hardest work anyone has ever done or will do. That was his autumn, and he worked during that hard time. And thank God that he did because it led to the great harvest. Now, through the gospel, people can be rejoined with God. People can be saved.
But Jesus is more than our example of hard work. He also comes to live inside his people by his Spirit. The Spirit of Christ within us can strengthen us to work hard like Jesus, even when it's costly or painful to do so.
Naturally, I am a lazy person. Some people are driven by nature. I am not. But when Christ came into my life and charged me up by his Spirit, something changed. As I've spent time with him, as I've worshipped him daily, he has transformed me to become more like himself. I still battle the temptation towards laziness, but he has deposited his work ethic into my soul. He has helped me work hard during hard times by the power of his Spirit within me.
The People of God Must Plow
Brothers and sisters, the sluggard still looks for harvests where they never plowed, but we must plow. The world is filled with people who want great lives without any work involved. But there is no easy money. Instead, the Christian wants to be Christlike and work hard when times are hard.
Harvests Beget Harvests
Let me close by doing two things. First, let me encourage you. Second, let me let you in on a secret.
Let me encourage you to work hard when life is hard. I know life is rough. There are pains involved. And there are circumstances way outside of your control. But, by the power of Christ, you can work hard when life is hard. And this will lead to a harvest in your life.
When I was a teenager, I had acne. Like many other pubescent boys, I didn't like it. But I remember my mother told me to wash my face, apply anti-acne soap, and wait. As I grew, she assured me, it would all clear up. And she was right. As time passed, as my body developed, and as God made me a baritone, the acne cleared up.
This is what you watch happen when you work hard during hard times. Slowly, almost imperceptibly, you will discover life clearing up. Over time, the bills won't be so hard to pay. The relationships won't be so volatile. The kids won't be so disobedient and the work won't feel so overwhelming. Slowly, you will grow, and you will enjoy the fruit of walking with God.
Now for the secret: harvests beget more harvests. Just as ancient farmers got seeds for their next crops from the previous harvests, so will your little victories and harvests yield more.
Let me give you an example. I know I told you you couldn't read my eulogy. But I will read one sentence for you: "Thousands of younger men have believed God for their lives as a result of Nate’s example and instruction." I hope and pray this becomes the truth. I hope to die with many thousands of young men celebrating that they were exposed to my life or teaching.
But, to get there, little harvests beget more harvests. For instance, eight years ago, I decided to write a book for young men. I didn't think it would go far. I didn't have big dreams for it. But I wanted to write down what I thought a godly man looked like so that others could follow. And that little harvest -- getting that book done and published -- has led to many more harvests as I've gotten many chances to influence young men for Christ. It was one step of thousands, one mini-harvest, that has led to more harvests.
You see, it's not all about how life ends. I mean, it is good to have that harvest-life image in your mind. But that life isn't all suffering and pain and autumn-plowing-hard-work. No, that life is a joy. There are thousands of mini-harvests along the way that make life sweet.
And those mini-harvests lead to more harvest, so work hard when life is hard, and watch God produce his great blessings in your life.
