Have you ever been so tired that you just wanted to quit? Often we work hard, but don’t see much evidence of positive results from that work. The temptation is to give up in frustration!
My few attempts at being a gardener had more than their fair share of frustration! Seeds that didn’t sprout and plants that never bore fruit! Tender plants that were eaten by wildlife! Crops destroyed by fungi and insects! Have you ever experienced this? It is enough to make you move on to another hobby!
However, if we want to eat, someone has to do the hard work of tilling, planting, cultivating, weeding, and harvesting! I, for one, am glad for all the farmers who put in the hard work that make it possible for me to eat at mealtime!
Paul calls his fellow Christians in the area of Galatia to persevere, even if they encounter hard times! The work of Christian ministry, loving, helping, serving, is often not easy! But Paul says in Galatians 6:9 NLT, “So let’s not get tired of doing what is good.” Ever been there? Tired of doing good?! I suspect that Paul understood that feeling clearly! (If you don’t think so, read what he writes in 2 Corinthians 11:16-33 about all that he has endured while trying to do good.)
Then Paul tells the folks in Galatia why they should persevere in doing what is good, “At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up.” (Galatians 6:9b NLT) This reminds me that the harvest often takes longer to mature than I would hope! I suspect that the Lord is probably trying to teach me patience! Just as our garden or farm crops don’t mature overnight, neither do we, nor do the “seeds” we sow. We are called to trust the Lord to bring our harvest to maturity at just the right time.
Paul’s words also remind me that I am to reject the temptation to quit when I get tired, or when it all seems “too much,” or when I’m not seeing the results I expected…or for any other excuse! Paul says we will “reap a harvest of blessing”…that is, the harvest is certain!! If we are planting good seed (as God’s word calls us to), we will, without doubt, reap a harvest of blessing! The only way we would fail to reap that good harvest is if we give up! How sad it would be if we gave up just before “the right time!”
So, I am choosing to keep on doing good…whether I see results now or not! The promise is clear. I will reap a harvest of blessing, if I DON’T GIVE UP! So, join me in keeping faith for a harvest of blessing as we serve others in Jesus’ name!