“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)
Christian believers can get weary. They can grow tired of praying for the same old people with the same old problems. They can lose heart fighting the same old battles in which they never seem to gain ground. Then they’ll hear sermons which tell them they should be seeing instant results – if they’re a “true Spirit-filled Christian.”
In reality there are problems, tasks, and battles that require a lifetime to overcome. Therefore we must exercise faithfulness and endurance. In fact, there are battles that will require many lifetimes to win. For the battle rages for ages. Sometimes there are tasks so great that we cannot hope to see their conclusion in this life.
Think of the great Gothic cathedrals of Europe. The cathedral of Notre Dame in Paris took 182 years to complete. This was during a period when the average Parisian had a life expectancy of only 45 years. It meant that a craftsman who began the massive project had no hope of ever seeing his work completed – nor did his son or grandson. Each of them had to content himself that he was part of a team, a chronological team, a long succession of laborers who had to take up the mission – that was greater than any individual or any one generation – from his predecessor, build upon it, then pass the work on to a successor before he closed his eyes in death.
Consider the runners in a relay race. Of the four runners of a relay team, only one crosses the finish line. Two of the runners don’t have the distinction of beginning or finishing the race. They pick up the baton from the runner before them, run like crazy for their portion of the race, and then pass the baton on to the next runner.
Think of the units that rotate through Iraq and Afghanistan. In the on-going War on Terrorism these units may deal with a sense of futility. They arrive in theater, take the mission from the unit that preceded them, make the most costly sacrifices, then pass the mission on to the next unit. They leave without seeing the accomplishment of the overall mission. Yet that mission cannot possibly succeed without them.
It’s the same with our on-going quest to do good for God’s Kingdom and for our fellow human beings. Wherever there are people, there will be problems. And we must not grow weary in the task to help them. For eternity will soon break upon us and God will so thoroughly reward us that we’ll have wished we had worked all the harder for Him.
REFLECTION
- Read Hebrews 10:36. What do believers need when they do God’s will?
- Read Hebrews 11:8-13. Are there times when believers will die before they see the answer to their prayers, the completion of their work, and the ultimate victory of their battles? Are you willing to be on such a team whose work is never done?