Journal Entry ~ 01/03/18

9 And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up.10 So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith. - Galatians 6:9-10

It’s true - we can all grow weary, but this verse reminds us not to grow weary of doing good. Before we define what ‘good’ Paul is referring to, we need to first reflect on why we are growing weary.  We can grow weary from trying to meet our busy schedules full of what we think is good.  It’s critically important we are consistently evaluating what we’re adding to our schedules as good - what is causing us to grow weary?  Sometimes we can get caught in the trap of thinking we’re trying to do good, but the reality is we’re not at all on God’s plan, we’re on our own. If you’re finding yourself exhausted from your busy schedule, you’re probably not on God’s plan for your life. 

Take ministry work for example - I’ve gotten burnt out on ministry work when I’ve taken on too much work with too little help. Holding several positions at once, I’ve grown weary of all I had on my plate. The more weary I grew, the more I tried to convince myself I was doing good, and I just needed to push through the weariness. The problem with that plan is we start to sacrifice those things God does call us to do, we get irritable with those around us because we’re exhausted, and we end up frustrated with other people’s expectations. Personally, when I feel the stress of being rushed, when I have too much on my schedule, I can become a bull dozer - I have a mission to complete and I just become focused on what needs to get done. I sacrifice relationships in the name of getting things done. You know you’re not doing good when you find yourself short with others in the name of getting through your to do list. That’s not how it’s supposed to be - that’s how God intended for it to be, that’s not what Paul means here when he says “let us not grow weary of doing good.”

When we see these huge red flags in our behavior, and we notice we’re exhausted from all we have to do, it’s time to stop and evaluate why we’re weary - it’s not coming from doing His good.  The weariness is coming from trying to take over our schedule.  So why do we pack our schedules? I think we pack it for several reasons - maybe some of these sound familiar to you: sometimes we pack our schedules because we want people to see us as valuable or important - the more we accomplish, the more valuable we are; sometimes agree to commitments because we can’t say no - we don’t want people to disappoint people. Both of those reasons place greater value on people’s opinion of us than God’s plan for our lives. Sometimes we pack our schedules because we’ve subscribed to the cultural lie that in order to raise well rounded children, we need to have them enrolled in a number of activities, or to be able to give them opportunities we never had as a kid. Sometimes we keep ourselves busy because we don’t want to be alone with our thoughts.  It can be painful to reflect on our own behavior, and confess our own sins - it’s much easier to stay busy and avoid. Any one of these reasons will eventually lead to exhaustion. 

Far too often, our weariness comes from doing our kind of good, not His. Be sure you are doing all that He’s called you to do, and you’re not doing “good” for the wrong reasons. If we are truly doing His good, we find the energy to keep pressing on.  We will not grow weary. 

Press on ~ you are loved 💗