Don't Give Up!

"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 

We have all heard this verse a thousand times. If you grew up in the church, you probably memorized this as a small child. This verse has always encouraged me as a Christian through good times and bad, and through the various seasons of my life. However, it was after seeing this verse on Facebook that the true weight of this verse hit home for me, especially as I am about to complete my first year in Panama. And after this year, this verse reminds me just how much God is faithful to those who earnestly seek Him and desire to serve Him.

As I look back at this year, I have a mix of feelings. But, I can honestly say, I am so thankful for my new home, excited for the future, and more aware than ever that God uses every single experience in your life, good or bad, to help you mature and grow. And added bonus….that difficult thing you dealt with a few years ago… yeah that thing you wish you had never experienced……well, guess what?! I have good news! It will make your present troubles easier, and help you pass through these and future struggles stronger, and bonus, you can better encourage those dealing with stresses of their own. And as a positive result, allow your stress or troubles to make you more compassionate, not more hardened, to those in need. Because the beautiful thing is, God wastes nothing and uses everything good or bad, your fault or another’s, EVERTHING!!!! For His plans and purposes. To me, this is a message of hope and joy for all situations.

Now what are we responsible for as His children?! We are responsible for “not becoming weary in doing good.” And what is the result? “For at the proper time”- That’s right, not on our time schedule, but God’s time, “we will reap a harvest if we do not give up”. Awesome! Amazing! But remember, we cannot give up! That’s right. We must persevere until the end. Now, important point here, “the end” may be the end of our life. Some things, we will never see the conclusion of or the result of in this lifetime. But, remember, God promises a harvest will be reaped as long as we do not give up. I do not know about you, but as a Christian and one specifically working overseas, this is what makes me keep going in the work we do here in Panama. Because if I was only in this for the immediate results, I would pack up and go home right this minute. And I think I can say honestly, most missionaries around the world would do so as well. Think of all of those other jobs that need time to achieve results: parenthood (very much a job), teacher, doctor, farmer, politician, etc. All of these jobs involve the investment of time, work, and prayer. None of these jobs obtain success quickly. Life is a process, a long one, but be encouraged, God blesses those who follow Him and choose to live their lives on God’s timeline, and not a human timeline.

We can also be assured in this verse that as Christians, if we live our lives striving to obey God and desiring to do His will, we are promised eternity with our Savior. Granted we cannot physically earn our eternity with God through good works, but we can decide to accept the gift of the Good News and then live our lives in light of the Gospel. Remember, no matter what you are going through, gone through, or will go through, God’s promises are true, and whether you see the fruit of your labor in this life or not, God sees it and that is all that really matters.

We have experienced a great deal of stress during our time in Panama, but we are starting to see the fruit of our labor, and we are encouraged. As the old hymn says, “I have decided to follow Jesus. No turning back. No turning back!” Do not give up! God is with you and He will reward your labor in His all-seeing and perfect time. How has God shown His faithfulness in your life?

For His Renown,

Bethany