Don’t Grow Weary, Have Patience! | Galatians 6:9

 In Galatians 6:7-8, Paul reminds us of the principles of reaping and sowing. He says that when we sow according to the flesh, ignoring God and with our own selfish desires in mind, we will reap nothing but destruction. But when we sow according to the Spirit of God that dwells within us, with God’s will and His desires in mind, we will reap a harvest of eternal & abundant life.

But what happens when we’re sowing ‘good’ seeds according to the Spirit, but we are not seeing any tangible results? What happens when we’re doing good, but our good deeds aren’t recognised, and we receive no word of thanks or praise? What happens when we’re sowing our seeds, but our harvest is nowhere to be found? Well, Paul says in Galatians 6:9…

“…let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up.”

In the natural, seeds don’t grow straight away. Some take a week, some take a month, and some take a whole year to grow! And the same principle applies in the spiritual too. When we sow our seeds, they won’t always grow straight away – some may take a long time. But don’t grow weary! Remember to keep doing good, and have patience. At the right time you will reap a harvest of blessing.

 HAVE PATIENCE.

As Christian women, we need to have patience in every single area in our lives. Now, when we think about patience we often define it as simply having the ability to wait for something. But we have to understand that patience is much more than simply having the ability to wait for things to come to fruition. As Joyce Meyer says; “‘Patience is not the ability to wait – it’s how we behave whilst we are waiting.”

Over the years, I’ve realised that there are things that God wants us to do whilst we are patiently waiting, and there is a heart attitude that He wants us to have too.

This heart ‘attitude’ can be broken down into four key components; find Joy, be thankful, be content, and seek God.

FIND JOY

1 Thessalonians 5:16 NLT – “Always be joyful…”

Our happiness can often fluctuate depending on our circumstances. For example, if things are going well, we usually feel happy. However when things aren’t going so well, we can often feel sad. Now, although happiness and joy are often used interchangeably, joy is different. And that’s because joy doesn’t depend on circumstances. Joy is a sense gladness and delight that remains within our heart, no matter what the circumstance may be, because we are delighting in the unmerited grace and favour of God in every area of our lives.

Joy is possible when we remind ourselves that even though things may not be going as we planned, and although things may not be happening in our time frame; God is always working things out for our good. We have to remember that He has great things planned for us. And as long as we continue to good, at the right time, He will cause our harvest to come!

BE THANKFUL

1 Thessalonians 5:18 NLT – “Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.” 

It’s easy to focus on everything that’s going wrong in life. And it’s easy to focus on the things that we don’t have. But the problem with this is that sometimes we can forget to be thankful for the things that we do have. We can focus so much on what is yet to be in our hands that the things that we already have in our hands lose their place in our hearts.

Whilst you are sowing and whilst you are patiently waiting, remember to be thankful… be thankful in all circumstances.

Being thankful simply means expressing gratitude to God. So, joy delights in God’s grace, but a thankful heart is grateful for God’s continual blessings, grace and favour.

So whilst you’re waiting, thank God for what He has already done or is doing in your life. Thank Him for life in general which is such a blessing to have during these unprecedented times. Focus on the positive whilst you continue to work towards the rest.

BE CONTENT

Philippians 4:12 NIV – “I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation…” 

Not only is it important for us to be thankful for what we have, it’s also important to be content with what we have.

It’s ok to aim for higher things in life, especially when those higher things are aligned with God’s greater vision and plan for your life, but the question is are you content with what you already have, or are you discontent because you don’t have what you want? Are you able to be content and get along happily in all circumstances and situations that you face, or do you always want more?

Paul himself had learned to be content no matter the circumstance because he knew that whether he was full or in need, he could do all things through Christ who strengthened him (Philippians 4:13).

Remember that although you may not have everything that you want right now, be content because God will always give you everything that you need.

SEEK GOD

Matthew 6:33 NLT – “Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.”

Above all else, we must put God first. 

Don’t grow anxious, don’t grow weary and don’t worry about the future. Seek God, trust God, continue to align with His will and His purpose, continue to do good, and remember that He has a plan for you. Not a plan to harm you, but a plan to prosper you and to give you an abundant eternal life. As you continue to seek God and do good,  everything else will fall into place.

Also See: You Reap What You Sow | Galatians 6:7