Do Not Grow Weary
“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
Dear friends,
Greetings to you all in the precious name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.
As we enter the month of October, we have just come through the season of Harvest Thanksgiving—a time when we joyfully remember God’s provision and give thanks for His goodness. Harvest reminds us of what has been gathered. But behind every harvest there is another story: the story of waiting.
A farmer does not sow the seed today and expect to gather the crop tomorrow. Between sowing and harvesting, there are days when nothing seems to be happening. The seed lies hidden beneath the soil. The farmer continues to work, wait, hope and trust. He cannot see the harvest yet, but he believes that the seed is not wasted.
Our Christian life is often like this.
There are seasons when we pray faithfully but cannot yet see an answer. We care for our families, fulfil our responsibilities, serve others, try to make the right decisions, forgive when it is difficult, and continue trusting God. Yet sometimes we may quietly ask, “Lord, how long must I keep going? When will I see the fruit?”
Paul writes to the Galatians with a simple but powerful encouragement: “Let us not become weary in doing good.”
Notice that Paul does not say that we will never become tired. There is a difference between being tired and giving up. Even faithful people become tired. Elijah became exhausted. Jeremiah became discouraged. The disciples struggled to stay awake. Paul himself knew hardship, disappointment and suffering. The Bible never pretends that a life of faith is a life without weariness.
Instead, Scripture teaches us what to do when weariness comes.
Paul gives us a reason to continue: “for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.”
The important words are “at the proper time.”
We often have our own timetable. We want God to answer now, change the situation now, open the door now, heal the relationship now, solve the problem now. But God’s time and our time are not always the same. What seems like a delay does not necessarily mean God has forgotten us.
Think again about the seed beneath the ground. For a time, nothing is visible above the soil. Yet hidden from sight, something is happening. Roots are forming. Life is developing. What looks like inactivity may actually be preparation.
Perhaps some of us are living in such a season today. You have prayed, but the answer has not yet come. You have worked hard, but the result has not appeared. You have shown kindness, but it has not been appreciated. You have carried responsibilities for your family without anyone noticing your sacrifices. You have remained faithful to God, yet the road ahead still seems uncertain.
This month, God's Word to us is: Do not give up.
Your prayer is not wasted. Your faithfulness is not wasted. Your kindness is not wasted. Your service is not wasted. The good seed that is sown in faith may sometimes take longer than we expect to produce visible fruit.
But this verse also challenges us to ask: What kind of seeds are we sowing?
Every day we sow something through our words, choices, and actions. In our homes, are we sowing patience or anger? In our relationships, are we sowing forgiveness or resentment? In the lives of our children, are we sowing faith, prayer and the Word of God? In our workplaces and communities, are we sowing kindness, honesty and compassion?
We may not see the results immediately, but seeds have a way of becoming harvests.
Therefore, dear friends, as we journey through this month of October, let us continue faithfully in whatever God has entrusted to us. Let us continue praying even when the answer seems delayed. Let us continue loving even when love is costly. Let us continue forgiving even when it is difficult. Let us continue encouraging one another. Let us continue doing good even when nobody seems to notice.
And when we become weary, let us remember that we do not continue in our own strength alone. The God who calls us to persevere is also the God who strengthens us. Our hope is ultimately not in our ability to hold on to God, but in the faithfulness of the God who holds on to us.
Harvest teaches us that sowing is followed by waiting, and waiting, in God’s time, gives way to fruit.
So whatever season you may be going through this October, hold firmly to this promise:
“At the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.”
May the Lord strengthen every weary heart among us, renew our faith, give us patience in our waiting, and enable us to continue sowing seeds of love, faith, kindness and hope. May our lives, our families, and our congregation bear fruit that brings glory to God.
Have a blessed and fruitful October.
In Christ’s love,
Rev. Prasad Vasanthakumar
Minister, London Tamil Christian Congregation