A bit of confusion exists for many about the idea of karma. It's primarily Hindu in origin, and is loosely related to the cause and effect of deeds or work.
But it is not equivalent to the biblical law of sowing and reaping. They are different concepts. Sowing and reaping is an agricultural term that illustrates the idea of sowing seeds to produce a crop or harvest. It's an investment that brings a return.
It also includes a sense of risk. Time and other factors affect this risk. Life is an investment, so invest wisely.
Scripture
Do good wherever you go. After a while, the good you do will come back to you. Invest what you have in several different things. You don’t know what bad things might happen on earth. There are some things you can be sure of. If clouds are full of rain, they will pour water on the earth. If a tree falls—to the south or to the north—then it will stay where it falls. [vss 1-3]
But there are some things that you cannot be sure of. You must take a chance. If you wait for perfect weather, you will never plant your seeds. If you are afraid that every cloud will bring rain, you will never harvest your crops. You don’t know where the wind blows. And you don’t know how a baby grows in its mother’s womb. In the same way, you don’t know what God will do—and he makes everything happen. So begin planting early in the morning, and don’t stop working until evening. You don’t know what might make you rich. Maybe everything you do will be successful. [vss 4-6]
It is good to be alive. It is nice to see the light from the sun. You should enjoy every day of your life, no matter how long you live. But remember that you will die, and you will be dead much longer than you were alive. And after you are dead, you cannot do anything. [vss 7-8]
So young people, enjoy yourselves while you are young. Be happy. Do whatever your heart leads you to do. Do whatever you want, but remember that God will judge you for everything you do. Don’t let your anger control you, and don’t let your body lead you to sin. People do foolish things in the dawn of life while they are young. [vss 9-10]
(Ecclesiastes 11:1-10 GW) [Context– Ecclesiastes 11]
Key phrase—Do good wherever you go. After a while, the good you do will come back to you.
[bctt tweet="Do good wherever you go. After a while, the good you do will come back to you."]
Digging Deeper...
Review the Scriptures above as you answer the following questions
What are we encouraged to do? What can we count on and what can't we be sure of?
What do we not know, and what advice is given because of that?
What realities are certain, and how should this affect how we live?
What's the advice and caution given to young people? How does the caution relate to the advice given at first?
Reflection...
Some people say they have no regrets in life and wouldn't change how they lived earlier in life. But most of us, if we're honest with ourselves, know some things could have been better.
We can't change the past, but we can learn from it, if we're willing to do so. We can also learn from the example of other's lives, both good and bad.
This life has no guarantees about how much time we have to live, or how much happiness we'll know. But good is better than evil, and God honors what is good.
We can choose to invest in what is good—for our own life and the lives of others. It's worth the risk.
Make it personal...
Read through the Scripture text again as you consider and answer these questions
How often do you allow what you can't control in life to control you?
How has doing good returned to you in some way?
When have you not taken a risk and wished you did? When have you been glad you took a risk?
What have you learned from the foolish things you've done earlier in life? How has it benefitted you?