Do Not Grow Weary

One important thing we must remember as students of the Bible is that God inspired and moved the writers of the Bible with things that he wanted to tell to us. While this might sound basic, it’s helpful for me to remember that God tells me things in the Bible that I might be prone to forget.

Paul wrote to an agrarian culture. The primary livelihood of his readers was farming.  Paul writes in the book of Galatians, “And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up. So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who were of the household of faith.”

God relates a law of farming to a law of spirituality. Quick fact: Whatever someone sows, that will he also reap.

When I begin to become weary, when I begin to think that all might not be worth it, I need to consider the law of the farmer and the law of the harvest.

What I put into the ground it will come back. What I put into the ground will either bless me or burn me. God is not mocked. He has set up the universe, both physically and spiritually, with a simple and straightforward formula. You reap what you sow.

I think of this passage as a small booster shot. The Lord inspired the apostle Paul to pen these words, because we are prone to weariness. At any given moment as a parent, I can easily be overwhelmed and become weary. We are prone to giving up and losing the perspective that it is worth it. Yet, we are told NOT to give up. This journey of parenting is a journey of faith. It is to be accomplished with eyes of faith. Listen, I get it.  I am a father of four kids. The days are long, but the years are short.

Your effort to raise your children in a manner worthy of the Lord is of great value. Keep on keepin on! Finish strong. Finish faithfully.  90% of effectiveness is just showing up.  Show up. Read the Bible at night when all you want to do is collapse. Give it that extra 8 minutes. Add another stone to the foundation of your children’s future. Do not grow weary.

The law of the harvest is true. It certainly takes faith as a spiritual farmer to believe that the seeds you are planting will result in a tree that will someday provide fruit that is pleasing to the Lord for years to come. That takes faith.

Literally, it takes willpower to believe that the hard work that I’m doing now will result in something of worth and value in the years to come.  Even seeds planted in the life of my child.  Yes, even to that child who is squirrely and squirmy.  It is worth it.

That’s the hope of the harvest. That’s the hope of the farmer. That’s the hope of one serving faithfully as a parent as unto the Lord.

The seeds I am planting may look dormant. However, in the Lord, those seeds, sown in faithfulness, will yield a great reward if we don’t give up.

• Recall: What should you think of when you grow weary?
• Reflect: Do you find yourself growing weary, raising your children in the manor of the Lord?
• Respond: How can you be encouraged when you do grow weary? Can you think of a tangible way to be reminded of the law of the harvest?
• Rethink: What are you doing right now to sow seeds of faith in your children?