Do Not Grow Weary

“When it rains, it pours.” Have you ever found yourself saying that phrase? If you’re being honest, the answer is an emphatic, “Yes!” Most of us can relate to this phrase because at some point in our lives we have been through one of these seasons. One bad thing happens after the next. One mishap leads to another, to another, and all of a sudden you are wondering, What is going on? and Why do these things keep happening to me? 

For my wife Diana and me, this has been a year of “when it rains, it pours.” In the early part of the year, I woke up in the middle of the night with severe eye pain. I couldn’t stand it. It ended up being a corneal ulcer. One month later, after doing some heavy lifting on a home project, I developed a tightness in my neck. It wouldn’t relent. The MRI revealed it to be a bulging disc and pinched nerve. Worst pain of my life. This summer, after finally making it to our family vacation, our one-year-old son, Parker, fell and broke his femur—the largest bone in the body—on our first full day of vacation! After spending the night in the ER, our son had surgery that next morning and was placed in a full cast from his torso to his toes. After managing a one-year-old and a four-year-old with this new lifestyle for five weeks, Diana and I were exhausted, yet upheld by the prayers of many. Parker got his cast off. We thought that we could finally breathe a sigh of relief. Only three days later, we got a call from my dad in Tennessee that my grandfather had passed away. All of this on top of home appliance failures, road construction damage to our vehicles, and fighting seasonal allergies and colds with the kids. One thing after the next, while still trying to keep it all together to lead and encourage well my wife, children, and ministry at church. 2023 has been the year of “when it rains, it pours.”

When life gets challenging or trying, how easy it is to grow weary, lose focus, and even want to throw in the towel and give up. So, what’s the answer? How can we handle the difficult seasons of life when hardships seem to never cease? For those of us going through seasons of weariness, may we find “strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow” from the truth of God’s Word. 

In Galatians 6:9, the Apostle Paul encourages us: “Let us not lose heart in doing good, for in due time we will reap if we do not grow weary.” In other words, when you feel like quitting, don’t quit. Why? Because you will reap if you do not give up. So, what does this mean for you and me? Press on. Sow seeds of faithfulness in whatever the Lord has entrusted to you. Keep doing the good work. Keep fighting the good fight. Remember whom you serve. You don’t serve men—you serve the Lord, Jesus Christ! I like how the Apostle Paul states it in 1 Corinthians 3:6: “I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the increase.” The Apostle Paul could have easily given up on the cause of Christ with the constant opposition and persecution he faced, but he didn’t because he clung to the promise of God: “Do not lose heart in doing good, for in due time you will reap if you do not grow weary.” 

In a recent daily devotional, Dr. David Jeremiah states, “Those of us who know Christ as our Savior are en route to heaven, but we have miles to go. Instead of growing weary, we should ask how many more miles we have to live a life for Christ. The joy is in the journey.” My friends, God has sent you out to plant the seed. There will be a harvest in His time. God will give the increase. Sometimes, we will be able to see results from our labors, but the full harvest can only be measured in eternity. Do not grow weary—in Jesus’ name, press on!

I pray that the Lord will grant you the strength and confidence for your life that I have often found in difficult seasons from these lyrics by Daniel Burgess based on Philippians 3:14 in his worship song entitled, “Press On:”

When the valley is deep;
When the mountain is steep.
When the body is weary;
When we stumble and fall.

When the choices are hard;
When we’re battered and scarred.
When we’ve spent our resources;
When we’ve given our all.

In Jesus’ name, we press on.
In Jesus’ name, we press on.
Dear Lord, with the prize clear before our eyes
We find the strength to press on.

Questions for Thought

• Are you living out your daily life in your own strength or are you operating in the strength and power of the Lord?
• What action steps can you make today to “not lose heart” and “not grow weary” and keep running well the race to which God has called you?