Don’t Lose Heart In Doing Good

Exhausted and weak, on the brink of hopelessness, and on the verge of giving up: we’ve all been there. We’ve been following God and doing what we know is right, but we aren’t seeing the fruit of our labor. It seems as though we’re continually being beat down and punished when we’re doing what’s right. 

God knew that we would all face some level of opposition when doing His work, so He made sure to leave us with instructions (and encouragement!) telling us what to do when we struggle with these things.

Galatians 6:9 says, “Let us not lose heart in doing good, for in due time we will reap if we do not grow weary.” 

Sometimes, the thought of just throwing in the towel and quitting just seems like the right thing to do. Well…Maybe not the right thing, but at least the easier option. 

However, God didn’t promise us easy when it came to following Him. But He did promise us satisfaction and fulfillment, ultimately, when we follow Him.

God wants us to continue doing good, to not lose heart. Why? Because if we keep pressing on, we will reap the benefits of our hard work, so long as  we do not grow weary. 

Take the example of a farmer, since that’s the analogy that was being used in the verse from Galatians. Farmers have to put in countless hours of diligent work in order to be able to enjoy all the benefits of their labor.

The farmer has to get the ground ready for planting, buy the seeds, plant the seeds, and then maintain their fields until the proper time comes, and the food is ready to be harvested. 

At that point, the farmer will get to enjoy the fruit of his labor. Food for himself and his family, extra crops to sell for money, and the satisfaction of being able to provide for those he loves. In the end, what is all of his hard work? To him, it’s more than worth it.

It might not have seemed like it was worth it when he spent hours every day under the blistering sun, though. When he was on his hands and knees, just trying to pull one more weed. When he woke up every morning, sore and tired, and knew he was going to be doing the same thing all over again.

1 Peter 3:14 says, “But even if you should suffer for the sake of righteousness, you are blessed. And do not fear their intimidation, and do not be troubled,” 

We will suffer for the sake of righteousness, but what if, instead of looking at it as a bad part of being followers of Jesus, we saw it like Jesus’s disciples did in Acts 5:41, “…rejoicing that they had been considered worthy to suffer shame for His name.”

Jesus never gave up or lost heart when He was on earth, although He had every excuse to do just that.

The Pharisees practically dedicated their lives to trying to prove Him wrong and have Him killed. The people He came to save said that He was a blasphemer who was doing His work in the name of the devil. The ones He’d healed, set free, fed, and taught were those who cried out, “Crucify Him!”

He had the ability to give up. But He didn’t— because He saw beyond His affliction, suffering, and hard work. He knew what the end result would be: a restored relationship with His people. 

We can follow Jesus’s example of perseverance, which is talked about in Hebrews 12:2, “fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross…”

We can fix our eyes on Jesus, and press on. Let’s persevere even when we’re facing adversity, just like Jesus did. It’s not always easy, but it’s completely worth it.

What do you think about this? Do you have any stories you’d like to share about a time when the Holy Spirit gave you endurance to work through something difficult? I’d love to chat with you in the comments!