Weary 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

Doing anything for a long enough period of time will make you tired. The Christian’s work is likened here to working in a field. A farmer has a lot of work to do and a long time to wait before he can bring in the harvest. He must clear the land, plow and disk the fields, create the rows, plant the crops, cultivate and weed the plants, irrigate the farmland, and patiently wait for months before he will see the fruit of his labor. There is no one to supervise him and nothing to motivate him other than the promise of the harvest by and by. The farmer’s workday goes from before sunup to long after sundown. Timing is essential, and a knowledge of the different types of insects and diseases that pose a danger to his crops is vital. He must remain constantly vigilant to ensure that these threats do not overcome his fields and destroy the harvest. As he is investing all of this back-breaking labor, the farmer receives nothing. He is not being paid an hourly wage. There are no benefits to ensure that his needs are met during the growing season. He must live on what he has laid by in store from last year’s harvest, which creates an additional financial pressure throughout the summer months. What keeps the farmer going? He continues to give everything he has because of the promise of the harvest. Reaping time will bring a great bounty, and the reward will make all of his labors worthwhile. Paul was saying, “Christian, don’t be weary in well doing. Reaping time is just ahead!”