Don’t Grow Weary

One day, a massive forest fire swept through the jungle, its flames devouring everything in its path. All the animals fled, helpless and terrified, to the edges of the inferno. They watched as the blaze raged, unable to stop it.

Among them was a tiny hummingbird. It darted back and forth from a nearby river, carrying a single drop of water in its beak each time, flying over the flames to release it onto the fire. The larger animals watched, confused.

“What are you doing?” a lion asked. “Your drops are too small to make a difference.”

The hummingbird paused for a moment, hovering above the flames. “I am doing what I can,” it replied, and continued its determined flights.

Don’t Grow Weary – God Has a Plan

The apostle Paul wrote his letter to the Galatians because the gospel was under attack.  Within the early church, there were Jews who had accepted Christianity and believed that since God had chosen the Jewish people as His own, the promises and gifts inherent in the gospel were for the Jews alone. For a Gentile to become a Christian, these Judaizers insisted that the convert first become a Jew, satisfying all of the requirements of the Law.

Paul’s mission from God was to share the gospel among the Gentile nations. God’s gift of salvation through His Son Jesus Christ was available to all people, Jew or Gentile, slave or master, male or female. The Judaizers were wrong. The gospel message must be proclaimed without their modifications.

Paul’s frustration with the Judaizers has to be reflected in Galatians 6:9: “Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.”

Instead of wrestling with the Judaizers who were agitating things on each of his three missionary journeys, Paul could have given up. The church in Galatia was founded on his first journey and he was writing this letter on his third journey. He had already done more to further Christianity than most Christians of his time and since then.

But thankfully, as Galatians 6:9 says, Paul did not become weary, anticipating the future harvest of saved souls that God would bring about in His own time. The Letter to the Galatians provides one of the clearest presentations of gospel grace in the Bible. The message is clear: God justifies sinners, no matter how sinful they are. All they have to do is put their trust in Jesus. They don’t need to earn salvation by following the Law or having their good works exceed their evil deeds. This is the glory of God’s grace. Aren’t you thankful?

Lessons from Galatians 6:9

What lessons can we learn from this passage in Galatians?

• If you’re not a Christian, repent and accept the grace of forgiveness that God freely provides. We are all sinners in need of that grace. Do it today!
• Don’t be discouraged by the challenges of trying to live a righteous life. Keep your focus on the grace of Jesus Christ. Others will notice and be drawn to Him.
• Help others and don’t grow weary or let others discourage you. You may not see the harvest God provides, but God sees it.

Galatians 6:9 is about having a “no quit attitude” and “trying your hardest”.

God wants you and me to be part of His source of good in the world. If you cannot find an opportunity to do good, look for someone hurting, in pain, or suffering. There is no shortage in the world. Then breathe agape love, hope, and grace into the situation. Be a beacon of God’s Light in otherwise dark places.

As long as we have the opportunity to do good, to invest our lives by the power of God’s Spirit in doing what is right, we should take it. This includes doing good to everyone – family, neighbors, coworkers, church members, classmates, and sports teams we’re on. When you start listing all of the people you interact with daily, you’ll see the opportunities are boundless.

Don’t Grow Weary – Of Telling Others

A fellow church member told me that when he lived in Florida, he would regularly witness to his neighbor. Most times, the door was slammed in his face. Mike moved his family to Raleigh but kept receiving the weekly newsletter from his church in Florida. One day he read that his neighbor had accepted Christ and joined his former church. God called Mike to plant the seed, which was harvested many years later. The angels in heaven rejoiced for this lost soul won through the persistence of faithful believers who don’t grow weary.

We all have the opportunity to create positive change, but if you’re like me, you sometimes start thinking, “I’m already busy. How much of a difference could make?”  This is especially true with massive social problems like world hunger or finding a cure for cancer.

Being the change doesn’t have to be world-changing, though.

• Pick up trash you see during your daily walk through the neighborhood, making it a better, more beautiful place for your neighbors.
• Help someone struggling to load groceries in their car.
• Bring food to someone wrestling with a recent loss or bad health diagnosis.
• Mow the lawn of a neighbor undergoing cancer treatments.

When I catch myself growing weary, thinking the task is too big, it helps to remember the hummingbird story. You might not be able to change the entire world, but like the story of the hummingbird and the lion, you can change your small part. Break the big challenge into smaller pieces and then tackle those one at a time–like one drop at a time. You will make a world of difference. Don’t grow weary!

Closing prayer: Father, may I never become weary of doing good in service to You. Instead, may I work diligently, energetically, and enthusiastically in all I do. In Your timeline, You will bring a rich harvest, even if I never see it. Let me be faithful. In Jesus’ holy Name, I pray.

The story of the Hummingbird and the Forest Fire is a traditional tale from various indigenous cultures, particularly in Africa and South America. It’s often attributed to the Quechua people of South America or the Kikuyu people of Kenya. The story has been retold in various forms as a parable about environmental responsibility, individual effort, and the power of small actions.

Though widely shared in oral tradition, the story doesn’t have a single author or source, which makes it freely usable and not subject to copyright. Its message.