Gal. 6:8,9 (NKJV)
“For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life. And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart.”
God intends for our lives to be fruitful. Jesus said that our Father is glorified when we produce much fruit (Jn. 15:8). Paul said that we were created unto good works (Eph. 2:10). Yet, we are warned in Galatians 6 that something can happen on the way to fruitfulness – we can grow weary. Anyone who has run in a race or exerted themselves physically, knows that the biggest temptation during weariness is to quit and make the pain go away.
God set up the whole world to run on seedtime and harvest. We live in a cause and effect world and a faithful, covenant-keeping God invites us to trust Him for grace to do the impossible through our lives. A big challenge between the act of sowing to the Spirit and the reaping time is the wait. It simply takes time and God designed it to work that way.
During the time of patience, we do not see fruit and we are tempted to wonder if faith-induced obedience was worth it. Paul recognized that this time could be discouraging and that we need to not grow weary, but trust that God is working. If you find yourself in one of those seasons, here are a few things to keep before you to not allow weariness to get the best of you.
Keep Your Eyes on Jesus. There are so many places that wandering eyes can turn to, but we must fix our eyes on Jesus (Heb. 12:1,2). He is our mediator and intercessor who is cheering us on. Jesus endured with the empowering strength of the Holy Spirit and the same Spirit lives in us. Since Jesus made it, so can we.
Join a Running Club. Do not try to do anything alone. God placed us in a body and when we run with those who are heading in the same direction and with the same heart, we can encourage each other when the hills seem too high. Thank God Paul and Silas had each other during the midnight hour in jail. It sure is easier to sing in prison with your friend singing along with you.
Get used to the mess. Proverbs 14:4 (NIV) says that, “Where there are no oxen, the manger is empty, but from the strength of an ox comes an abundant harvest.” Farming is messy and when using oxen, quite stinky. Taking ground towards the vision and working as a team is filled with drama. The leadership journeys of Moses, Jesus and Paul all had trying times and challenging people. That is better than no oxen and a clean stall – accomplishing nothing.
Keep the end in mind. When we buy a vegetable seed pack, it does not come with a picture of muddy dirt and a sweaty farmer, but with a picture of a shiny, red tomato. The end game is why we are doing what we are doing. God has wonderful assignments for all of us to help heal our fallen world and to lift the burden from the shoulders of suffering people. We can endure tough seasons for the joy that is set before us – changed lives and the kingdom expanding all over the world.
Keep planting with God today. Keep running towards the finish line. You can make it and it will all be worth it in the end. “So let’s not allow ourselves to get fatigued doing good. At the right time we will harvest a good crop if we don’t give up, or quit” (Gal. 6:9, The Message).