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 

Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving. 
Colossians 3:23–24

---

I looked up at the clock. The class was only halfway through, but I wanted to leave. Every muscle in my body ached, my heart was racing, and the five-pound dumbbells felt like 55. I had taken this class at my gym before, so I’m not sure why it felt impossible this time around. I took my eyes off the clock and glued them back onto the instructor, resisting the urge to put away my equipment and walk out. Though every part of me wanted to give up, I stayed and grudgingly powered through.

When was the last time you felt like giving up on something that mattered to you? What keeps you holding on? Today’s verse reminds us we will reap a harvest in due time if we don’t give up. It encourages us not to become weary in doing good—not to become exhausted.

How easy it is to do just that when so much of the good we attempt to do comes with so much resistance. Exercising to gain muscle or lose weight means putting our body in a state of physical fatigue, using resistance to get results. Raising children means facing their resistance to parental rules and boundaries. Spreading the word of God is met with people’s resistance to a story they may not know anything about, or worse, do know but have had hurtful experiences with.

So we become weary, and rightfully so. We may even give up. There were so many times Joseph could have given up. Yet with each challenge he faced, “the Lord was with Joseph and gave him success in whatever he did” (Genesis 39:23). He kept his eyes glued on God; serving God and being obedient was his only end goal. And reap a harvest he did—Pharaoh put him in charge of the whole land of Egypt, and he was in a position to help his family during a famine.

Sweet Friend, if you are growing weary, take heart. God sees the good you are doing, your effort, and intention, even if no one else does. The harvest might feel lifetimes away, and your muscles are aching, but do not give up. Keep your eyes glued on the one who calls you by name. Pour your weary heart out to God and allow Him to restore you.

Next Steps

Journal or reflect on ways you can “not become weary in doing good”—what might that look like in your day-to-day life? Then think of practices you can put into place for when you do become weary, like prayer, worship, rest, or talking to a trusted friend.