3 Reminders When You Grow Weary of Doing Good
By Michael Kelley
“Let us not become weary in doing good…” (Gal. 6:9).
This is one of those “of course” kind of statements for people of faith, and the “of course” can be applied in two ways.
Of course we should be doing good. This is what we are here for. In fact, doing good is not optional for the Christian, but instead what it means to live out God’s purpose in our calling to begin with:
“For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do” (Eph. 2:10).
In addition, of course we should not get tired of doing good. But this is the kind of “of course” that feels a bit idealistic because there are times for all of us when we do the opposite. We know there is good to do, and we might even be confronted with the opportunity to do good, but we are just tired. Or frustrated. Or annoyed. Or over-burdened. In those cases, we aren’t just growing weary; we are already there, and the last thing we want to do is good. So what do we tell ourselves in times like that?
How might we encourage our souls when we are growing weary of doing good?
1. Good is right.
It’s helpful to remember during times of weariness that good is right. And the rightness of that good is not determined by our energy or commitment level. There are people to help; messages to share; the kingdom to represent whether we feel like it or not. Now why should we remember that when we are growing weary of doing that good?
It’s because we can very easily talk ourselves into believing that our feelings are the best measure of what the right thing to do is. In reality, what is “good” and “right” exists apart from our feelings.
And many times, though we would not like it to be so, we must do the right thing because it’s the right thing.
2. Good is noticed.
What might make us grow weary in doing good? Many times it’s because we feel unnoticed and forgotten. That we put our notes to the grindstone of good works and they aren’t acknowledged. Now if that’s the reason we are growing weary, then it is a good thing for us to know it because we must confront our own need of validation. But we can also remind ourselves that the desire for recognition and validation is not necessarily bad - it only becomes that way when we seek it in the wrong place.
The reality is that every good work is noticed: “Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows” (Gal. 6:7).
It’s true that this verse is not talking about doing good, but the same principle applies.
Just as God will not be mocked as if He takes no notice of the bad being done, so also does He see and take notice of all the good.
3. Good is rewarded.
Galatians 6 continues after we are exhorted to not grow weary in doing good: “...for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up” (Gal. 6:9).
Good is right. And good is noticed by God. And good will be rewarded at the proper time. Of course, the proper time doesn’t always feel like the proper time from our perspective, but it is.
God knows when it is. And again, there is nothing wrong with anticipating reward as long as it’s the right kind of reward.
What do we do when we start to grow weary, then, of doing good? We remember. Specifically, we remember that good is right, good is noticed, and that good is rewarded.
Michael Kelley is a husband, father of three, author, and speaker from Nashville, TN. His latest book is a year-long family devotional guide called The Whole Story for the Whole Family. Find his personal blog at michaelkelley.co.
