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"And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all, especially to those who are of the household of faith."
(Galatians 6:9-10)
On Thanksgiving Day, I was speaking with a pastor, and we talked about our biblical text for today and how it is a very valid temptation for us as pastors to grow weary while we are doing the work of the Lord. In ministry, there is always something more to do. In ministry, I do not struggle with doing too little. Oh no; I am Mr. Overachiever in many ways, and that is not always a good thing. If we are not careful, we can run so hard doing the Lord's work that we wear down and eventually burn out.
On the other hand, you may be one who is nowhere near overdoing it in service to Christ because you do very little for the Lord and His Church. If so, I pray that God stirs your heart, convicts you, and you get busy serving the Lord and utilizing the spiritual gifts He has given you for the expansion of His Kingdom. Others of you know exactly what I am writing about today. You feel the tiredness, the exhaustion, the weariness, and the temptation to quit.
So, how do we obey the biblical teaching and not become weary while doing good? Here are a few principles that I pray will help you:
- Stay focused on Christ by reading the Bible and praying every day. Yes, every day. Do not miss your time with the Lord, even if you are on vacation or a mission trip. It is vitally important for you and me as followers of Jesus to stay tethered to Him. There will be many temptations you face in serving the Lord, and one of those is to compromise your devotional time with Christ with the excuse that you are doing the Lord's work. Please do not go down that path. It will lead you to burnout and bitterness.
- Be thankful. When times are hard, it is only human nature to complain. Part of the complaining stems from our focus on what we do not have instead of all that we do possess. A heart filled with gratitude to God has no time to bemoan what it does not have. You may be in a dry season where ministry is simply tough. You are not seeing much fruit from your labor, and you feel the strong temptation to be overwhelmed and weary. But that is not God's will for you. Being thankful will do wonders for your troubled heart.
- Take time for sabbath rest. Many pastors and ministers are people-pleasers and keep themselves overly busy doing all they can to help and please. But God never intended you to do all that. He expects you to please Him. A key way you and I do that is by obeying His Word and resting.
- Share the Gospel with those who do not know Jesus. This may be the furthest thing from your mind in your current spiritual state. You are so focused on your hurt and your needs that you have little bandwidth to focus on others. But remember this: if you are a child of God, you are on your way to heaven! Most of the people you meet, work with, or interact with are not on their way to heaven, and they need you and me to share with them. One of the best ways to get you out of a bad mood and a pity party is to witness to others.
- Believe God for better days. The Apostle Paul says we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Be faithful one more day. When tomorrow comes, commit to being faithful yet another day, and eventually, you know what will happen? You will see the fruit of your labors. True, you may have to wait until you get to heaven to see the full impact of your life on earth, but what a wonderful day that will be.
Have a blessed weekend. Thank you for all your prayers and support for our DFEA ministry. May this Christmas Season bring you much joy and delight.
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