GALATIANS 6:9 – “And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up.”
THEME OF THE DAY: IT IS SUPPOSED TO BE THIS WAY. Jesus never promised serving Him would be convenient, without exhausting toil, and with little personal cost. He said the opposite – “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me” (Luke 9:23). The call of our Lord to deny oneself, take up the instrument of death, and to live a life of obedience in following Him is costly, and the high price to pay is weariness; spiritually, emotionally, and even physically.
Jesus knew the exhausting cost of being obedient to His Father’s will. Not just the agony in the Garden of Gethsemane, the humiliation of His mock trial, and crucifixion, but throughout His life. Remember, He is the Godman – 100 % God and 100% man. Our Lord experienced the fatigue required with acceptable service. One example was His encounter with the Samaritan woman at the well – “Now when Jesus learned that the Pharisees had heard that Jesus was making and baptizing more disciples than John (although Jesus himself did not baptize, but only his disciples), he left Judea and departed again for Galilee. And he had to pass through Samaria. So he came to a town of Samaria called Sychar, near the field that Jacob had given to his son Joseph. Jacob’s well was there; so Jesus, wearied as he was from his journey, was sitting beside the well. It was about the sixth hour” (John 4:1-6).
The verb describing Jesus’ condition is wearied. It is also translated “worn out” and does not point to a little fatigue needing a brief nap. Way beyond such. It is defined as “to toil, labor, work hard, feel pain, crumble, to get tired through overuse or great strain.” The Apostle Paul also acknowledges the great toil necessary in serving the Lord and His people. In Paul’s relationship with the Corinthians believers he writes – “I will most gladly spend and be spent for your souls. If I love you more, am I to be loved less?” (2 Corinthians 12:15). There are two words describing Paul’s service. The first one “spend” is to exert great effort, to wear out. It is the picture of growing quite weary in well doing. The other word is “spent” and is vivid in its meaning which is “to be completely drained of energy.”
Combining today’s scripture call to not grow weary, and the models from our Lord and the Apostle Paul, we are given a very clear picture that the Christian life consisting of exhausting and sacrificial service is God’s way. And that means it is supposed to be this way. May the Lord find us being spent for Him, His people, and His gospel as we look to Him who truly knew what it was like to give His all for us.
PRAYER: Father, may I learn to appropriate Your enabling grace to accomplish Your will for me today.
REFLECTION: Weariness is the cost to be an effective and influential witness and servant of the Lord Jesus.