May 28, 2012
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
Let's be honest. This life can be tiring. We can grow tired physically, emotionally and spiritually. We can hit the wall and seemingly not want to carry on. We can try so hard to do the right thing only to feel unappreciated for the efforts expended while others seem to get a pass. But God knew that we would get tired. He knew that the life we face each day can drain us to the point of exhaustion. The key verse today is a message from the throne room of God to us when we are facing the wall. When we are facing the inevitable fatigue this world brings to our lives. There are two key parts to this message.
First God is telling us to not grow weary in doing good. Look, this world can beat you down physically, emotionally and spiritually. And if anyone has spent any significant time in church they have learned the hard way that church is no different. It should be different but the people in church are humans too with the same frailties as everyone else. I think we can grow weary for three different reasons. First of all we can feel unappreciated. The devil loves to whisper in our ears about appreciation. He loves to point out that there are often not enough amens to our work and that people just do not care about the efforts we make. The sad truth is sometimes this may even be true. We should take time out of our lives to let those who are working hard for the Lord know that they are appreciated for their efforts. There was one brother at my old church I remember who would always say something encouraging no matter what the interaction was about. He was an edifier. We all should be so.
The second reason we can grow weary in our service to God is because of criticism. The devil will use anyone he can to criticize our efforts. Even well-intended church-goers may not realize the sting of their criticisms. Once again, it should not be so:
Guard your steps when you go to the house of God. Go near to listen rather than to offer the sacrifice of fools, who do not know that they do wrong. Do not be quick with your mouth, do not be hasty in your heart to utter anything before God. God is in heaven and you are on earth, so let your words be few. -- Ecclesiastes 5: 1-2 (NIV)
The Bible says the tongue is a restless evil that is full of poison. Sometimes we just do not realize how careless we are with our words. How we can tear each other down instead of building each other up in the love that Christ said would show people that we belong to Him.
The third reason we can grow weary is quite frankly we forget who we are serving. We lose sight of why it is that we strive to do good. We are not supposed to be looking for encouragement or edification from man but rather approval from and the will of God:
Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving. Anyone who does wrong will be repaid for his wrong, and there is no favoritism. -- Colossians 3: 23-25 (NIV)
Now we are human and I understand how easy it is to fall into the appreciation and criticism traps that the devil lays out for us. I remember I was upset one time in ministry about appreciation and when I prayed God said to me, "who are you doing it for?" God had to remind me that I do what I do for Him, not for the accolades of man. The glorious upside from really incorporating this in your mindset is that it protects you. There will no longer be anything man can say or do to upset or derail you as long as you're doing your good for God and God alone. And please beloved; realize I am speaking about works of good not works of the church. I am speaking about works for God, not works for man. Wrapping up works of the flesh in the name of Jesus does not make it a work of God. I am speaking about building the Kingdom of God.
Secondly from the key verses is a great promise from God to us today -- if we do not give up then there is a great harvest coming for our sincere works. We live in a proof-based society and when we exert efforts we often want to see the fruit of those efforts immediately. But as the key verse says God is waiting for the proper time. It is important that we realize today that we may not see that proper time come to fruition until we get to heaven and see someone there because of our efforts. Here is Paul explaining:
I planted the seed in your hearts, and Apollos watered it, but it was God who made it grow. It's not important who does the planting, or who does the watering. What's important is that God makes the seed grow. The one who plants and the one who waters work together with the same purpose. And both will be rewarded for their own hard work. For we are both God's workers. And you are God's field. You are God's building. -- 1Corinthians 3: 6-9 (NLT)
Sometimes we plant a seed and sometimes we do the watering. Sometimes we see the harvest and sometimes we just have to stand on the promises in this key verse that assures us that there always is a harvest coming for the work we do for the Kingdom of God. I had a seed planted in me in 1998. God sent someone to water it three years later and then in 2002 the harvest came due when I gave my life to Christ. The pastor that gives the altar call often gets the lion's share of the credit but there was probably an army of people God used behind the scenes to get each person to the point where the weight of their sin becomes so overwhelming that they are ready to admit that they need a Savior -- and even then it is the Holy Spirit that draws them! When we are truly working for the cause of Christ and not the will of man -- we are members of the same team. So I encourage my fellow team members today -- I know how easy it is to fall into weariness but do not fall for it! There is a harvest coming if we simply do not give in or give up!
Rev. Anthony
