Dear Friends,
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]
For those of you who were blessed to be at our Harvest Festival Church Parade, you would have heard me share this short, all age bible reflection for the benefit of children and youth who were in attendance. I’d like to take the opportunity to encourage you and elaborate further on this scripture.
Christians can grow weary and tired of doing good. Despite going in the right direction or being on the right path, you can sometimes be discouraged and feel underappreciated by those you have tried to help – your church, family, friends, colleagues and the list can go on. You may think there is so much work to do, many needs to attend to, and constant demands on your energy and time, leaving you disheartened and exhausted. It is possible, even, to be disliked when you do good, as we see in scripture on many occasions, particularly in the life of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. Although many loved Jesus for doing good, many also hated him. All these circumstances can make you fed up doing good things or wondering why you even bother.
Don’t beat yourself up if you feel like this. I want you to know that many Christians can attest to feeling just the same at some point in their walk. This is why we need God’s help to keep on going so that we can keep doing the good things we do. God gives us strength so we don’t give up and become discouraged. Where is one of the places we find strength? It is in the word of God!
Here, in Galatians 6:9, Paul encourages us not to give up. Prior to this verse, Paul had been appealing to the church in Galatia to walk in the freedom of Christ; they were now free people in Christ. He stressed their responsibility to live according to the Spirit of God who lived inside them. However, after giving this exhortation, it must have dawned upon Paul how the duties and responsibilities of the Christian life he presented to them must have made them feel. Were they overwhelmed, perhaps? It wouldn’t surprise me, as this was weighty stuff he had been sharing, after all.
Possibly, there were thoughts amongst the believers in Galatia, such as, “This is hard work” or “Can I do this?”; “Is it really worth it to follow Christ?”; “Does it matter?” Doubts had begun to set in! So Paul encourages them to keep living in a way consistent with the message of Christ, consistent with their faith and what they believe in and keep on doing good. In the same way, I want to encourage you this month: do not give up! Remember that our Heavenly Father sees what you do, even when you are not noticed for doing good by others. He knows you and sees you each moment of each day. He is the always present, all-seeing, all-knowing and all-hearing God. The good we do as God’s children is not about the recognition or praises of men, but the good we do is to please and honour our God and Father.
Even though you might not see the results of doing good immediately, you are promised that you will see the results at the right time! Just as when a seed is sown, we must have the patience to wait for it to grow and harvest, so we have to wait for the fruit and the rewards from our loving Heavenly Father. Pray to the Lord that He might help you be patient while waiting for the seeds you have sown to be multiplied. And don’t give up, don’t grow weary, because God is faithful. Remember, as it says in 1 Corinthians 15:58: “Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord because you know that your labour in the Lord is not in vain.”
I continue to be excited as we have begun to see God’s faithfulness in honouring His word to us here at Baginton Road URC. I pray that the Lord will continue to bless you and reward you as you continue to earnestly and diligently seek Him.
Every blessing,
Pastor Sherry Owolabi