Growing Tired of Doing Good

And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up
Galatians 6:9.

What kind of horrible person grows tired of doing good? Better yet, who would admit to it?

Paul wrote those words to the church of Galatia. False teachers had infiltrated the community and were adding rules and requirements to the gospel. (Such as all believers had to be circumcised.) Paul set the record straight in this letter.

This verse has clung to my soul. For the last four days it has made its home in me.

It's as if I stepped in a big wad gum on the sidewalk and cannot scrape it off of my shoe. The more I scrape the more it spreads.

Paul's words have hit too close to home.

There have been times that I have grown weary of doing good. There have been times that I got so tired that I quit. You probably have too. If you haven't, just hold on because at some point you will want to.

You might have noticed a decline in my writing over the last two months.

One reason is because I have grown weary of it. Nothing negative happened. Rather, Christian Gravy was growing. But for some reason, I grew weary. This weariness didn't limit itself to my writing, but to other areas of my life as well.

Weariness never limits itself to one place, but spreads like a cancer.

Maybe you're weary of doing good right now.

You volunteer in some capacity at church, but you're tired of it.
Maybe it's your giving.
Maybe it's how you treat other people.
You don't read your Bible or pray anymore.
You're a parent and you've had enough of that punk kid.
You can't love your husband anymore, because he treats you like crap.
You are tired of reaching out to your co-worker only to be shot down.
You've prayed the same prayer for thirteen years, but nothing has happened yet.
You are tired of not seeing any results for your "good."

There are reasons behind why you grow weary. If you can see the reasons, maybe you can do something about it.

Here are eleven reasons you grow weary of doing good:

1) Your focus is off. When your focus shifts from Jesus to yourself, you will grow weary of doing good. (Obviously, this is the primary reason.)

2) You don't feel appreciated. This is why it's important for church leaders to make sure that they are making their volunteers and staff feel appreciated.

3) You are bored. The repetition that comes from always doing the same thing can create boredom, which can grow into weariness.

4) You have lost your vision and passion. I know when I grow weary of doing good, it's because I forget why I'm doing the good in the first place. You can't remember what you are trying to accomplish.

5) You've been hurt.

6) You are overwhelmed. Emotionally, physically, and spiritually overwhelmed people are ready to walk away from doing good.

7) You don't relax or have fun. God knew how important it was to rest and that's why He made it one of the Ten.

8) You can't see the results. We like results. When you can't see the results of your "good," it's quitting time.

9) You don't have any help or support. This could be your fault or the fault of others.

10) You have unconfessed sin in your life.

11) You have no personal relationship with Jesus. It is impossible for a Christian not to grow weary of doing good, if they aren't spending time in prayer and in the word. Don't look to a preacher to "feed" you. Feed yourself!

You will grow weary of doing good at some point.

Galatians 6:9 comes with a command, but it also comes with a conditional promise. If what we are doing is good and we don't quit, there will be something to reap for it.

Whatever "good" you are doing, don't give up! Think about why you are weary and fix it.

What would you add to the list? When have you grown weary of doing good?