Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. — Galatians 6:9
When apostle Paul wrote the book of Galatians, he had in mind a people who needed desperate encouragement. These believers in the city of Galatia needed to know that all their efforts in Christ Jesus were not in vain.
You see, there was a prevailing spirit of weariness in the church. Here were Christians who loved the Lord sincerely and wanted to do his will.
But these Christians were living in an environment that was so worldly and ungodly. They wanted so much to honor God and live according to his precepts but in their heart of hearts, they knew they were only a minority. They felt powerless and inadequate over the spirit of idolatry and self-worship that prevailed in their time. They knew they were outnumbered by those who mocked Christ and did not recognize him as Lord.
And so in the midst of all these uncertainties, apostle Paul rises to the occasion and declares a bold and powerful word of encouragement to God’s people. He says to the church in Galatia, “Let us not become weary in doing good.”
The biblical translation of the word “weary” means to be faint or to be exhausted.
Every so often in our lives, we are confronted with the reality of weariness. Like some of the Old Testaments prophets, weariness can visit us in the form of discouragement or strong feelings of frustration.
Weariness can also come to us through moments of vulnerability and powerlessness over situations that are far greater than us.
Today, God wants to speak to those of us who are weary. God has a message of encouragement for those who need to be strengthened by the Lord.
But today, God also wants to speak to those who are not weary. God wants you to realize how blessed you are to be in that situation of strength. God wants you to discover, however, how mightily you can be used by God to reach out to those who are weary.
The right field
GAL 6:7Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. 8The one who sows to please his sinful nature, from that nature will reap destruction; the one who sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life.
If we were a farmer, there are two kinds of fields we can choose to work on: the field of the sinful nature or the field of the Spirit.
All the works done on field of the sinful nature represents all human strivings that are not aligned with God’s pleasure and glory. These are labors that do not seek God’s honor. These are the labors that are self-serving and opposing to God’s word. These are the works that make us weary in the wrong ways.
Works done in the field of the Spirit represents all human strivings that serve God’s purposes and intentions. These are labors that bring honor to God and glory to his name. These are the efforts we exert, no matter how small, in proclaiming the love of Jesus Christ.
Every single day of our lives, we are given an opportunity to choose our field. This process of choosing is so important but often neglected. We work and work and work, not realizing that we may be in the wrong field. And because we are in the field of the sinful nature, all our labors will only be in vain.
At the end of all our strivings, we are not contented and our labors have no lasting and meaningful impact.
I once had a prayer time with one of our young professionals in Church. Like most of our young adults, she was in the crossroads of her life. She was enjoying a degree of independence and her career was taking off, but she knew that her spiritual life was lagging behind.
I cannot forget her prayer as she prayed to the Lord with tears. She said, “Lord, I do not want my life go to waste. I do not want to die thinking that I have just wasted my life in vanity. I want my life to count and make an impact for you.”
Are we in the right field?
The word “return” refers to what comes back to us as a result of all our labors. In the own words of Paul, “return” is the harvest. It is what we yield after we have done our work.
We learn from our scripture reading that one of the most powerful threats working against our harvest is weariness. 9Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.
For God’s people, weariness is not entirely a bad thing. Weariness only becomes a problem when we fail to understand the sacred and holy purposes of our weariness.
In the eyes of faith, weariness is a sign of our powerlessness and our ever-increasing need for the Lord. Our weariness is God’s way of signaling us that we cannot stand alone. Our weariness is also an indicator of an imbalance — we may be working so hard but praying so little. Our weariness may also be an indicator that it’s now time to put our prayers to work.
Every now and then, we feel that our labors are unappreciated. We serve our family and our loved-ones wholeheartedly in the name of the Lord yet, we are seldom appreciated by those we serve.
We work as efficiently and as honestly as we are able, but we are often bypassed during times of honor and promotions.
We give so much of ourselves to the Lord despite all our limitations and all our busy schedules, yet, we still get criticized.
How deeply comforting it is to realize that at the end of the day, God cannot be mocked — not now, and not ever. Let us take heart then! There is a promised return for those who will persevere. Thank you, Lord!
