“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 NIV).
There were some pretty dark days when I clung to this promise. I was ten years into a ministry I had helped build from the ground up. Saying I was exhausted and burnt out was an understatement. Ready to throw in the towel and walk away, I was even to the point where I dreaded going in, and I lived for the weekends when I didn’t have to work. What good could I even do in this state? Yet, I knew God hadn’t released me from my position yet. He had strategically placed me in this leadership role two years prior, and while it was a great experience for growth, it had also sapped the passion and joy that I used to have for the ministry.
Galatians 6:9 kept me going. I saved the verse as my screensaver, and any time I felt like walking away, I pulled it up and meditated on it. I turned to God to sustain me and help me continue. Knowing that at the proper time, I would reap a harvest if I didn’t give up, gave me hope that it would all be worth it somehow. I just needed to keep going.
And I was right. The next year, God confirmed it was time to step away. I was both relieved and terrified to move on. I expected an emotional and turbulent end after eleven years of blood, sweat, and tears. But, oh, it was so much more! The appreciation, the growth, and the measurable outcomes I saw at the end were more than I thought I would ever reap. I’m so glad I kept at it and waited for God’s timing to move on instead of giving up too early.
The amazing thing is that this promise stretches far beyond just one job or position. It’s a promise for all of us who follow Christ. So I encourage you today not to give up. For at the end, you will reap a harvest far greater than you could ever ask for or imagine (Ephesians 3:20).
If you’ve been tempted to give up and walk away from something you know God has called you to, how might Galatians 6:9 encourage you today?
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