Never Tire of Doing What is Good

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, NIV

Negativity. Rudeness. Insults. Each of these methods for dissuasion is easy to find and often just at the touch of a screen. Despite the good we try to do, there's an enemy always anxious to usurp the authority we've been given. Once we become believers in Christ, Satan will do anything he can to deter us from sharing the good news or encouraging fellow believers.

It's hard when these rude comments come from faceless trolls online; it's downright hurtful when they come from people we consider to be brothers and sisters in Christ. It is so easy to let this discouragement get the best of us and make us "weary in doing good," as Paul says. Since publicly sharing my faith, I have encountered some of this, but it's mostly been minor- an anger emoji or flippant comment. Before I could even let myself wonder if it would dishearten me, however, I saw a woman I greatly admire in the Christian writing world be completely torn apart on a post that I thought was brilliant. And it wasn't an atheist or agnostic - it was a fellow believer! And not just one, might I add. Several were ganging up on her, accusing her of "adding to the Bible" or "giving Jesus qualities we were never told he had." While she handled these trolls with the utmost grace and responded in Biblical truth, watching this situation made me question whether I would be able to do the same.

Paul encountered rejections and criticisms countless times himself, and almost always by Jews, the people of the very faith that raised him. But Paul chose to use this negativity to fuel the encouragement found in letters like this one to the churches of Galatia. He could have said, "Just give up guys. The stoning isn't worth it." But he didn't! He told his fellow believers to not let the negativity deter them from doing the good work God has called them to do.

Now, the weariness Paul is deterring here is not the same thing as being physically tired from hard labor; instead, it is a spiritual attitude of apathy from which he is trying to dissuade his reader. Furthermore, "this mandate is not an invitation to become a workaholic but rather a pep talk to continue walking by faith without becoming discouraged or losing heart" (NIV The Woman's Study Bible commentary, Thomas Nelson, 2018). Paul has intimate, personal knowledge of encounters with false testifiers and people fueled by evil and hatred. Their only initiative is to forever silence Paul so he can no longer speak of the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus. To this point he says, "Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows" (Galatians 6:7, NIV).

So what does this mean for us today? The instructions read very simply: don't give up on doing good. As communication has progressed over the years, it's easier now than ever before for people to both praise and condemn. As a result, many choose to keep to themselves so as not to draw the wrong sort of attention. Others try to do good, but will almost always be criticized somewhere in the process; some will even accuse them of just trying to draw attention to themselves, leading to the wonder of whether helping others is even worth it. Add in the overabundance of scammers lurking around every corner, and you have people who won't give to the person begging because "they're probably not poor," or those who don't think we should be caring for refugees driven from their countries because "we have enough problems to take care of here; they're probably terrorists in disguise anyway."

But let's talk about the most dangerous and most effective deterrent for doing what is good: the negative voice clouding your mind, making every excuse for why you shouldn't show your love for God's people. Some call them intrusive thoughts, but I prefer to call it by name: Satan himself. When he can no longer dissuade us through the criticisms of other human beings, Satan will turn our own thoughts against us:

You're just a nobody. Why would anyone listen to you?

That person is just taking advantage of you. You know that right?

What good can you possibly do? You're just one person.

You should focus on your own happiness. That is the point of life, right? Do what makes YOU happy.

 Don't witness to that person. You're just going to stumble over your words and say the wrong things.

Sound familiar? Peter fiercely warned us against this fallen angel and his tactics: "Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour. Stand firm against him, and be strong in your faith. Remember that your Christian brothers and sisters all over the world are going through the same kind of suffering you are" (1 Peter 5:8-9, NLT).

C.S. Lewis even wrote an entire book about the devil's schemes, known as The Screwtape Letters. If you have not read this masterpiece (which I would strongly suggest - it's so good!), Lewis writes from the perspective of Screwtape, a high-ranking official from Hell. He is checking in with his nephew, an up-and-coming devil who has been assigned a human to infiltrate and prevent from accepting Jesus Christ as his savior. When I read this book a couple of years ago, it was such an eye-opener. While I had heard the devil brought up in Sunday school and sermons, I don't think I had ever put much stock into what he was capable of. I knew I was a believer in Christ, so why worry about the other guy? Lewis brings to light how Satan will infiltrate every single facet of your life if you let him: your relationships, prayer habits, focus, desires, trials, pleasures, humor, complacency, and fatigue, just to name a few.

I think it's safe to say I was being a bit naïve about the enemy, and I'm thankful that this book helped me realize the reality of Satan. This excerpt on spiritual warfare from my study Bible puts it best: "'When a woman becomes a child of God, she not only inherits God's blessings but God's enemies as well" (Spiritual Warfare: The Armor of God, NIV The Woman's Study Bible, Thomas Nelson, 2018). However, we know that Jesus has conquered death and as a result, conquered Satan himself. Once we are children of God, we are "sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts" (Galatians 4:6, NIV). And if we truly walk in this Spirit we have received, we will reflect the fruit of the Spirit: "love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control" (Galatians 5:22-23,).

When we accept Jesus Christ as our savior and receive the Holy Spirit, we are gifted these fruits of the spirit to help deter our weariness. When we allow the Holy Spirit to work within us, we reflect this love, joy, peace, and kindness. And how do we allow this to happen? By clinging to God and his Word. Spending time with God through reading, worship, and reflection allows us to fuel the spirit of Jesus living inside of us. An excellent visual of equipping ourselves with this defense of the spirit is found in Ephesians 6, also known as The Armor of God. (And if you are subscribed to my email list, I will be giving a freebie related to this with my June 2022 newsletter). But for now, I will leave you with this encouragement: "Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another - and all the more as you see the Day approaching" (Hebrews 10:23-25).