How long is this going to take?

Galatians 6:9 So let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up.

This a favourite verse of a good friend of mine. It came to mind today on the early Monday morning commute to work. Who knows why? You wouldn’t think that doing good would be a tiresome thing. However the Bible recognises this is often the truth. Doing the right thing is not always doing the easiest thing. The pressures of life push us so often towards “the path of least resistance”. The easy route, the short cut, the ‘microwave solution’ all seem very enticing but don’t often find the route to the right outcome. At work there is often talk of the “quick win”. In my experience the quick win leads to the long term loss. Jesus said “Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it.” (Matthew 7:13). It would appear that many choose the easy route and few take “the road less travelled”.

But why is “doing what is good” wearying. I think its because the main reason we often do “what is good” is to obtain a good outcome. This isn’t necessarily a good outcome for us personally. We share the gospel with a friend in the hope that they will come to faith themselves. We help the alcoholic in the hope that they will discover a life free from the stronghold of drink. We coach the staff member in the hope they will reach their own potential. The wearying part is that the outcome we often hope for seems to take forever to arrive.

But Galatians teaches us to not give up hope. We are assured that the “harvest of blessing” will be reaped at the right time. This right time is God’s timing. This is not always our timing and probably isn’t as soon as we would like it to be. But God sees the bigger picture. He’s not only working in the situation but He’s working on us. He’s shaping our character, building our trust in Him and working through the situation to demonstrate His glory and love.

So on my tired Monday mornings, I remind myself to not take the quick easy option, but to keep choosing the narrow path. At the right time the harvest will come.

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