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Do Not Become Weary
Sometimes following God's will for my life is as challenging as a 3am wake up call.

SOMETIMES FOLLOWING GOD'S WILL FOR MY LIFE FEELS AS CHALLENGING AS A 3AM WAKE UP CALL.

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

I’ve mastered a move called the “zombie shuffle”.  

You may be familiar with it. It’s when something (usually someone) wakes you up in the night and you have to peel your bones off of your bed and walk down the hall in a dreamlike state to tend to the issue. There isn’t a muscle in your body that wants to be out of bed, but boy do you love that baby. You would do the zombie shuffle for them every night if you needed to.  

Sometimes following God’s will for my life feels as challenging as a 3 a.m. wake up call. My sinful “old” self wants to wallow in my selfishness or laziness or pride rather than do the hard, right things. That’s why I feel so refreshed memorizing the Dwell verse for November: “Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up (Gal. 6:9).” 

Why “do good” anyway? 

“Doing good” is not what saves me. I can serve in the nursery twice a month, sign up for every meal train, and sponsor five Compassion children and it will still not be enough to get me into heaven. I am saved by grace through faith in Christ. Can I get an “amen”? At the same time, as a believer, God has called me to a life of good works. In fact, the Bible says that faith without works is dead (James 4:17). The great reformer Martin Luther is credited with saying, “We are saved by faith alone, but the faith that saves is never alone.” Good works are evidence of our salvation. They are the fruit of our new life in Christ.

(CONTINUED BELOW) 

On the podcast

It's time to jump in to our November verse; Galatians 6:9! On today's show, Vera and Natalie are talking about persistence, dealing with weariness, and they're giving you a little Advent teaser! Listen to the Dwell Differently podcast on iTunes or Spotify today.

 

(CONTINUED FROM ABOVE)

How do we not grow weary? 

But HOW do we not become weary in doing good? If you’re like me you’ve battled the temptation to “do bad” half a dozen times by 8:30 a.m. Here are a few Biblical principles to combat weariness: 

Hope in Jesus.   

Hope always combats weariness. One of my favorite verses puts it this way, “Those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint” (Isaiah 40:31). Here we find a prescription to heal our ailment of weariness: hope in the Lord. When we fix our eyes on Jesus, our tiresome problems tend get some real perspective. 

Dwell in God’s Word. 

If you’re reading this, then you’ve likely been memorizing some Bible verses. Take heart, friend! You’re on the path to renewing your strength. Reading your Bible daily and meditating on passages of Scripture will help you know what God wants you to do. I’ve found in my own walk that a few times a week does not cut it. If I want to be truly in sync with Jesus, I need to read my Bible. Every. Single. Day. It knocks over the idols I’ve erected in my own heart and places Jesus right back on top. It changes my desires so that they’re more closely aligned to what he wants for me, which makes “doing good” a whole lot easier.  

Don’t walk alone. 

God uses Christian community to help us hope in him and to renew our strength. Three weeks after we got married, my husband, David, and I moved from Atlanta to Phoenix (a city I had never been to) so he could start medical school. Those days were challenging. I admire David’s work ethic endlessly, but that man spent *a lot* of time studying. That’s when I joined a Christian organization for physicians' spouses called, Side by Side. The name Side by Side comes from the verse in Phillipians “standing firm in one spirit, striving side by side” (1:27). I learned from women in the group who had more mature marriages than I, how to show grace to my husband through a season when I felt like I had none left to give. I have dozens of other examples of how fellow believers, throughout my life, have inspired me to follow Jesus more closely. 

I want to encourage you as Paul encouraged the churches in Galatians. Don’t become weary! Continue to find your hope and strength in God’s words. Find ways to connect with your local church so that you can meet other believers who’ll walk alongside you and give you practical wisdom for your everyday life.  

Are you feeling weary in doing good today?

What ways can you put your hope in the Lord to renew your strength?

Thanks for reading,

Emily

Natalie Abbott Bio

Meet EMILY INGRAM,Dwell guest writer

Emily is a Christ follower, boy mom, and professional communicator.  She loves to help others tell their stories in authentic and meaningful ways.

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