At The Proper Time

Galatians 6:7-10

⁷ Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows.⁸ Whoever sows to please their flesh, from the flesh will reap destruction; whoever sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life. ⁹ Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. ¹⁰ Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.

I don’t know about you, but there are times when I get tired and weary. There are times I wish things would happen faster. I wish I would see the progress quicker. I’ve been working hard on something for a long time and it’s still not where I wish it was.

I thought, by now, I would be further along. The benchmark I had in my mind for where I would be at this particular earmark is still quite a ways off in the distance.

I don’t know if you ever feel that way, but if you’re anything like me (human), I know you have.

It can be hard can’t it? Being patient. Waiting. Watching something grow every day, makes the growth seem small. Not much changed between yesterday and today. Not much has changed in the last week or even month. I keep watching the plant, but it just doesn’t seem to be making much progress.

But then someone, with a fresh perspective comes along. And they notice the change. They notice the difference. They remember where we were and compared to that, we’ve come along way. There is a difference. Things have improved. Things are better.

That helps.

But not for long. Because soon I’m back to my day to day grind and it just seems like things aren’t going where I want them to go.

What do we do when we get in this situation?

We keep going. We keep doing the good that we’ve been doing. We keep trying. We try a little more than we did yesterday. We get a little step further ahead, even if it’s a baby step.

Why do we keep going? Because we trust God’s word to us. “Okay, churchy guy, thanks for giving me the Sunday School answer.” Hold on. Don’t stop reading yet.

At The Proper Time

 Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.

On the front side of progress, all I see and think is: “I could be doing that.” I overestimate my abilities and maturity and think I can be doing what someone much wiser and more skilled than I can do. That’s where we get hung up.

We don’t have a proper assessment of our abilities and maturity. “Well, you’re being kind of harsh today, aren’t you?” No, just being honest with how I’ve been. And guessing I’m not the only one who’s been here.

Like I said, I thought I would be further along today than I am. But, I also have a perspective today that I didn’t have back then.

Looking back, I can see how unprepared I was for what I wanted. And if I had gotten what I wanted, it could have been potentially disastrous for me and lots of people involved. Why? Because when you’re not ready for something, you’re not strong enough to carry the weight of it for the journey.

We think we want the success, but we don’t understand that success has weight. And If we haven’t been built up for it, it will eventually crush us.

That’s why we keep going

Because, God is in the process of growing up. He’s building us up. If we are plugged into a committed community of believers, God is going to use that group of Jesus-followers to build us up. As we keep going, we keep growing and building up the foundation our lives need to withstand the success that we hope for.

So, don’t be discouraged today if, today, you find yourself far off from where you thought you would be. Because there’s a purpose in the process too. What you’re going through right now is significant for what you are going to be going through in the future. What you do today will prepare you for tomorrow.

So don’t give up. Don’t throw in the towel. Just because you’re not where you want to be doesn’t mean you’re not in a good place.

And, just like God says: “…at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.”

The harvest is coming. You may not have the tools or knowledge or skills you need to bring in the harvest. And that’s what you’re doing right now. You’re acquiring what you need.

And at the proper time, the harvest will come. And you’ll be ready.