A Words To The Weary

A WORD TO THE WEARY

Warsaw Christian Church, Richard Bowman, Pastor

Text: Galatians 6:7 – 10: Do not be deceived; God is not mocked, for you reap whatever you sow. If you sow to your own flesh, you will reap corruption from the flesh; but if you sow to the Spirit, you will reap eternal life from the Spirit. So let us not grow weary in doing what is right, for we will reap at harvest time, if we do not give up. So then, whenever we have an opportunity, let us work for the good of all, and especially for those of the family of faith.

I often find that in sermon delivery, I am speaking to myself. What I plan to share with you this morning is relevant for me, and I hope also for you. I have to confess that the life of a minister is often a life where weariness is a frequent companion. After serving as your pastor for many years, I sometimes wonder, “What good am I doing? Am I helping the congregation grow in Christ?” What difference would it have made if I had not been here for the past 21+? When I arrived, our attendance was 60-70. After 21+ years of service, we have grown to 30-40 in attendance! You are a wonderful congregation, but I suspect you were wonderful before I arrived. When I have worked hard to prepare a sermon, and I think to myself, “God is really in this message,” only to learn that many of our members decided not to come that Sunday, it is discouraging. They were not sick or traveling. They just decided not to attend.

I also struggle with feelings of inadequacy. If you don’t believe me, ask Marie.

There are days I think, “The problems here are not the congregation’s fault. I am the problem. I do not work hard enough. If I had more commitment, I could help this church grow.” Sometimes we pastors feel so weary of trying to do good that we want to throw in the towel. Many pastors do just that. They give up and leave the ministry. It can be a wearisome task.

What about you? Do you ever get tired of trying to do the right thing? Does discouragement ever set in as you strive to follow Jesus? Does it sometimes seem that the harder you try to be a faithful Christian, the more your troubles increase? Do you feel inadequate as a Christian? Do people seem not to appreciate the service you provide? Do you sometimes feel very weary in trying to do what is right? All of us need to listen carefully to our text.

Paul understands a principle that we must also understand. Saying and doing the right thing can take time and effort. It is often more exciting to say or do the thing which comes from our human nature. Gossip can be fun and exciting. Verbally abusing persons we dislike can give a sense of satisfaction. Whispering in secret against another person can feel so right. On the other hand, speaking words of kindness and doing good deeds can become burdensome. Sometimes our good deeds go unnoticed, we do not receive adequate praise, or our kind words seem to fall on deaf ears. We grow weary, and we feel like giving up.

When you grow weary in well doing, it is good to stop and ask yourself a fundamental question: What motivates me? Why am I working to promote the Gospel of Jesus Christ? Why do I spend time in prayer? Why do I try to do good to others? Why do I try to serve Christ through my church? Sometimes our weariness grows out of a wrong motive. If we are serving Jesus and doing good for the glory of God, we will press on no matter how weary we feel. If we do good to gain honor and recognition for ourselves and find that we are unappreciated, weariness will wear us down. We will give up.

But make sure to hear the rest of the story. Paul assures us that in due time we shall reap a divine reward if we do not give up. The principle will always hold: we reap what we sow, if not immediately, in due season, if not in this life, in eternity. God is not mocked. Evil will not finally triumph. Goodness will ultimately be rewarded.

Someone wrote these words to encourage us not to give up:

“People are unreasonable, illogical, and self-centered. Love them anyway.

If you do good, people will accuse you of having selfish ulterior motives. Do good anyway.

Honesty and frankness make you vulnerable. Be honest and frank anyway.

The good you do today will be forgotten tomorrow. Do good anyway.