Let Us Not Grow Weary

"And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up" (Galatians 6:9, ESV, emphasis mine).

This verse has been weighing heavily on my heart lately. Subconsciously, it's been there for the last couple of years. Consciously, it came up during my cohort meeting for H.I.S.years (the mission program I got accepted into) last Tuesday. A day or two later I received in an email the "verse of the day" from Bible Gateway, per usual, and the verse that day was none other than Galatians 6:9. It's funny, I was trying to remember which verse talked about not growing weary. That was my thought when I received that email.

In my last post I talked about being stuck in the doldrums of life, feeling like I'd been in a rut for so long, a rut I'd been fighting on a regular basis. It's been a little over a month since then and I can't say much has changed. It's something I'm still fighting, which might be an effect of senioritis. My fellow soon-to-be-graduates know what I'm talking about.

Last Tuesday I began to deal with the onset of a sore throat, which progressed throughout the week and had me near dead by the end of it (okay, I might be exaggerating a little). We had Friday off of school, which I was extremely thankful for; it gave me an extra day to stay at home and get some much needed R&R (rest and recovery). It also forced me to stop. I canceled the plans I had made for both Friday and Saturday, which meant I spent most of those days at home, mostly by myself. This led to much reflection, which is part of the reason why I'm writing this post. To stop and reflect though, especially at this point in the semester, is something I've greatly needed. Our human tendency is to forget. We forget who we are, forget what we've been through, forget who God is, forget what He's done. We are in constant need of a reminder. If you need any proof, just look at the narrative of the Israelites' wilderness wanderings--they forgot all the time.

So who are we?

We are God's children, a chosen people, a priesthood, a light to the world. We have been saved by grace, we are forgiven, and we have been redeemed. We are constantly being sanctified, we have purpose, and ours lives are meant to mean something. They do mean something and they are valuable.

What have we been through?

Maybe it was our parents' divorce, maybe we moved around a lot as a kid. Maybe someone close to us passed away, or maybe we were in a serious relationship that ended in disaster. We've been through good things too, though. Great things, even. We've been blessed by the love of those around us, we've seen new parts of the world, we've been blessed with a new job or financial provision. Maybe we were able to go to college, buy a house, get married, or start a family (though less of us early 20-somethings have probably been through the latter three). Needless to say we've been through many hardships and faced many struggles, but we've seen many victories, too. We've seen some of the greatest joys that life has to offer.

Who is God?

He is the Creator of the cosmos and He is sovereign over all things. He is in control of everything. Sometimes He allows certain things to happen for reasons we do not and may not ever understand. He is love, He holds all wisdom, and He owns the cattle on a thousand hills. He provides for our every need and in Him we shall not want. He is faithful to the end. He is our strength, our joy, our everything.

What has God done?

He sent his son, Jesus Christ, to die for all so that all could have eternal life, not just in "the next life" but in the one we're living now. He has redeemed, provided, created, comforted, and much more. We could go on and on. More specifically, maybe he delivered you from an addiction. Maybe he comforted you when someone betrayed you, when a significant relationship ended, or when someone close to you passed away. Maybe he provided the finances you needed, whether for college, a car, or something else significant. Maybe he helped mend a relationship. Whatever it may be, He has been there.

We reflect on these things and in that find a much needed reminder. We're reminded that everything's going to be okay, that God is in control, and that whether we're going through the rocks or sailing on smooth seas, God will always be with us and continue to be faithful. We're not to sit around and be mere consumers, though. We're called to give, to take risks, to love others even when it is risky or when it hurts. We're called to live as Christ lived, glorifying God and surrendering our lives to His kingdom. We're not called to save the world though; after all, only Christ can carry the promise of the world's redemption. It doesn't mean that our work on this earth is meaningless; the work we do matters greatly: to God, to us, and to those we serve. But by not carrying that burden, the burden that the world is ours to save, we're left with incredible freedom. We can give, serve, and love freely because we believe and trust that all is in God's hands. Is it not? That hymn many of us learned in Sunday school had some great truth to it:

He's got the whole world in His hands.

It is in His hands that we entrust our lives, and with them the life of the world.

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For a great read on this topic, check out the book "The World Is Not Ours to Save: Finding the Freedom to Do Good" by Tyler Wigg-Stevenson.