Overcoming weariness in well doing

“And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.”

Galatians 6:9 [KJV]

One afternoon, I flopped on my bed and let out a big sigh.

“Are you tired?” my sister asked sympathetically.

“I don’t think I am,” I said, “Oh, I don’t know. There’s so much going on. I don’t know what to feel. I don’t know what to pray. My efforts to help others feel pathetic.”

“Sounds like your tiredness isn’t just physical,” my sister said.

My sister was right. Tiredness can have physical, emotional and spiritual aspects. Whether you outwardly carry on, or are literally flat on your back; whether you have one main ministry or ten; and whether you serve the church, home, workplace or community, every Christian eventually hits an exhaustion point. How do you find the capacity to share the gospel when you don’t feel you can handle more rejection? How do you be a light in your workplace when you don’t want to face all the drama? How do you listen to people’s burdens when your prayer list is already overwhelming? How do you find motivation to keep tidying the house when others mess it up straight away? How do you keep investing in other people’s lives when your own life feels complicated enough?

Yet the Bible tells us to “not be weary in well doing” (Galatians 6:9a). Ephesians 2:10 is even stronger, saying, “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.”

Good works are the outward evidence of our internal faith (James 2:14-17). They are anything God tells us to do. They bring glory to God (Matthew 5:16), are empowered by the Holy Spirit (2 Timothy 1:7), are done in Jesus’ name (Mark 9:41), and will be rewarded by God (Galatians 6:9). They largely seem to fall into two categories: actions that directly relate to worshiping God, or actions that benefit others. In the first category, there is Anna the prophetess, who “served God with fastings and prayers night and day” (Luke 2:37); Miriam the poet, who led the women of Israel in worshiping God (Exodus 15) and the unnamed woman who anointed Jesus, with Christ saying in praise, “she hath wrought a good work on me” (Mark 14:6). Dorcas used her sewing skills to benefit others (Acts 9:36-42); Shallum’s daughters helped rebuild the wall of Jerusalem (Nehemiah 3:12); Deborah was a judge and mother in Israel (Judges 4 & 5); various women ministered to Jesus’ practical needs (Luke 8:2-3); and Priscilla, in partnership with her husband Aquilla, shared the gospel with a man who lacked understanding of the way of God (Acts 18:26).

In 1 Timothy 5:10, the Apostle Paul explains how to identify faithful widows, and names some good works: “if she have brought up children …lodged strangers …washed the saints' feet [and] …relieved the afflicted.” Raising children, showing hospitality and meeting practical needs are good works. I am not a parent, but looking after my toddler nephew has taught me that raising children is very hard work that requires much patience. Maybe you are a parent, grandparent, caregiver or teacher wrestling with toddler tantrums, chaotic children, troubled teens, aggravating adults, or grumpy grandchildren. Be encouraged. You are doing a good work.

If God wants us to do good works, why do we grow weary? Good works come at high personal cost. They take time, effort, focus, and energy. Doing what God wants is the opposite of our natural bent towards doing things that please ourselves, the works of the flesh (Galatians 6:8). Being a witness to non-Christians involve battles “against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places” (Ephesians 6:12b). The recipients of our good works don’t always appreciate them either. They might spurn the gospel we shared, take offense when we offer help, reject our advice, or ridicule the things that we value. Even Jesus grew weary at times in ministry, saying to His disciples, “Come ye yourselves apart into a desert place, and rest a while: for there were many coming and going, and they had no leisure so much as to eat” (Mark 6:31b).

So how do we not grow weary? Firstly, making sure we are using the right fuel. Good works are spiritual works that need spiritual fuel. Good works–ministry, serving God, fulfilling your duties, being a blessing to others, whatever you call them–are only ‘good’ if they are the overflow of our faith in God. If your actions are powered by pride, ambition or to be “seen of men”, they will not receive an eternal reward (Matthew 6:5), and are about as useful as solar panels in a rainstorm. Our power comes from the Son of God, who said, “My grace is sufficient for thee: for My strength is made perfect in weakness” (2 Corinthians 12:9a). It comes through the Holy Spirit living inside us (Acts 1:8), the Word of God which is sharper than a two-edged sword (Hebrews 4:12), the wisdom we receive through prayer (James 1:5-6), and the encouragement of fellowship with other Christians (Hebrews 10:24-25). Don’t neglect these vital sources of input into your spiritual life.

Earlier in Galatians 6, it says, “Bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ” (v2). While we often interpret this verse as needing to help others with their burdens, it also means we should let others share our burdens too. Perhaps this means delegating to others, allowing them to develop their skills in Christian ministry and service. Sometimes we need a Jethro, who bluntly told his son-in-law, Moses, “The thing that thou doest is not good. Thou wilt surely wear away, both thou, and this people that is with thee: for this thing is too heavy for thee; thou art not able to perform it thyself alone” (Exodus 18:17b-18). Every true act of service or ministry is a team effort. Take this blog for example. I might type the words and do my own personal Bible study, but the ideas, thoughts, and examples come from sermons, articles, family, conversations after church, discussions with friends, and messages people send me. Even broader than that is the critical involvement others have in shaping my life. Even if you feel on your own, remember–and reach out–to those other Christians who can encourage you, help you and uphold you through the Word and in prayer.

There will always be more needs than you can fulfil. There will be times when the ‘to-do’ list vastly outnumbers the ‘have-done’ list. The burdens may be multiplied. But the Lord encourages us to live in His strength, knowing that serving Him has eternal rewards. As Galatians 6:9 says, “And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap if we faint not.”