DON'T GIVE UP

It can be really hard to keep going when you’re not seeing results. For example, if you’ve ever tried to lose weight or finish your college degree, it can sometimes seem like you’re making little to no progress month after month, year after year. You wonder if you’ll ever get the weight off or obtain that degree. Your enthusiasm and motivation dwindle. You feel like things aren’t moving in the right direction. You become discouraged and grow tired of doing what is right. So what do you do?

When I feel like giving up, I remember this scripture: “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).

This writer compares doing good to planting and harvesting. We all know that you can’t plant a seed in the soil and expect to see fruit the next day. That’s ridiculous! But isn’t that what we do sometimes? We eat right for a day or two but see no movement on the scale, so we give up. We start investing in our dream of finishing school or starting a business, but when it’s slow progress, we throw in the towel.

But what should we do instead? Well, what do we do with a plant? We must water it each day and make sure it gets plenty of sunshine. We also have to give the plant time to grow and mature; then we’ll see the fruit.

Now, let’s break down the last part of this verse; when we do good …

1. We will reap a harvest or see results. There’s no ifs, ands or buts about it – blessings WILL come if we continue to do what is good and right. This is a promise that we can be sure of.
2. At the proper time. This can be the tough part, and it requires that we have patience. We may think it’s time for some blessings and answers to show up, but we need to trust that God will release them to us at just the right time.
3. IF we don’t give up. Whether we reap our harvest or not depends on whether we give up or not. We cannot quit and expect to see rewards; we have to resist the weariness and the desire to give up. Since quitting disqualifies us from reaping our harvest, let’s choose to continue doing what’s right and good!

And don’t buy into the lie that all the work and effort isn’t worth it. Don’t give in just before all the working and waiting pays off. Remember that in time, doing good will bring about rewards and blessings.

Finally, surround yourself with other positive-minded, persistent people who are also on a journey of doing good, waiting, and not quitting – people who are full of hope that their labors WILL result in realized promises. Who knows? You may be able to encourage them to keep doing the right things even when it gets hard … and they will be able to inspire you to do the same.

- a the word changes contributor