Have you ever done something nice for someone, but they didn’t notice it? Maybe you made a special dessert for your spouse, but they acted like it was just another Tuesday night dinner. Or, perhaps you donated money to a friend, but they didn’t even say thank you. Whatever the gesture of kindness, we humans can experience everyday weariness when serving, giving, or loving feels unnoticed.
Planet Earth revolves around fast results. We take in and spit out 24/7. Consumerism is part of our culture; for the most part, we don’t have an issue with it. And yet, Christians are challenged by God’s Kingdom in a way and path that works and operates much differently.
In Galatians 6:9, we are told these words: “Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up” (NIV). For context, Paul encourages the Galatians to press on, fight the good fight, avoid sin, and strive for holiness. We must cling to our spiritual desires and resist our sinful nature. But honestly, this can get exhausting.
Here, the agricultural imagery of sowing and reaping a harvest is pivotal to our understanding. As the Enduring Word commentary notes, we are called to share (in our sufferings and burdens and our gifts and offerings). Why? Because sharing in all good things reflects the value of reaping and sowing:
“A farmer reaps the same as he has sown. If he plants wheat, wheat comes up. In the same way, if we sow to the flesh, the flesh will increase in size and strength. The farmer reaps the same as he has sown, but not exactly. The apple seed doesn’t just grow more apples, but more apples with seeds. Even so, when we sow to the Spirit – even with material things – what we reap is not necessarily material things, but something better: of the Spirit we reap everlasting life. So we don’t give as a crude “investment” or money-making scheme, though we are completely confident we will never be the loser for giving.”
In 1 Corinthians 15:58, Ecclesiastes 11:6, and Matthew 13, we see similar illustrations:
The results of a sown seed won’t be immediate, but someday, we will see it. There may also be seeds sown that we know nothing about until we see the harvest in Heaven. If we know this, why do we grow weary in doing good?
It sounds like a simple question, but most of us grow weary of doing good, not because we don’t want to, but because we tire from being pressed in on every side. See if you can relate to any of these examples:
After a long day at work, you set aside your thoughts, feelings, and agenda to listen to your kids. Instead of thanking you, they say you don’t understand and march into their rooms. Immediately, a wave of exhaustion hits you. Emotional fatigue is high for help without thanks.
Trying to distract yourself, you pray for you, your kids, and your husband. You feel like you’ve been praying the same prayers for weeks, unanswered. Instead of feeling loved, you feel frustrated. Spiritual fatigue weighs on your soul like a weighted blanket.
Looking to relax, you flip on the news. An overwhelming amount of stimuli jumps out from the screen. Not only are school shootings and local deaths the norm, but commercials preach one message: You’re not enough. You need bigger eyelashes, clearer skin, and instant results. The cultural fatigue feels like a never-ending marathon.
Just like planting seeds takes time, these examples reveal that results are rarely instantly available. So is the harvest we reap from good, invisible at first. Why? Because the reality is this: Everything we do for the Kingdom of God matters, but we are planting seeds that we may never see grow, and that’s hard for us.
Every day, unseen seeds are planted: good and bad. A kind word sparks hope, a prayer that shifts a life is revealed years later, and that student you taught in 6th grade goes on to be a missionary at 21. Serving faithfully in obscurity doesn’t bring instant results. Paul and Appollos explained this in 1 Corinthians 3:6-7.
While many argued about following Paul or Appollos, the Gospel makes it clear: It doesn’t matter who planted or who watered, but who gave that seed growth—and it’s always God who makes our good deeds grow.
“What, after all, is Apollos? And what is Paul? Only servants, through whom you came to believe, as the Lord has assigned to each his task. I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God has been making it grow. So neither the one who plants nor waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow. The one who plants and the one who waters have one purpose and will each be rewarded according to their own labor. For we are co-workers in God’s service; you are God’s field, God’s building” (1 Corinthians 3:5-9, NIV).
Throughout Scriptures like this one, Jesus gives many parables about hidden growth. I believe He did this because He knew we’d grow weary. It’s tempting to think that unseen work is wasted. But if God is truly in control, He can and will still use what’s unseen, underappreciated, and hidden from the human eye.
I want to give you some practical encouragement if you're feeling weary today. First, I want you to know that it’s okay to be tired. Yes, it’s okay to want to throw in the towel, weep in your bed, and grow weary. The human experience isn’t for the faint of heart. I’ve grown too exhausted to stand many times in my life. And yet, in every season, the Lord is faithful. He pulls me from the brink. He restores my soul.
Once you’ve validated your experiences, I recommend that you learn to rest in God’s strength, not your own. No matter your work, I want you to know that it matters to God. Resting in Christ doesn’t mean not working. Resting in Christ means doing what you can and leaving the rest in the Lord’s hands. Isaiah 40:29-31 describes rest this way: “He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but 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” (NIV).
Notice that these verses don’t say that we won’t grow tired, but that He will give us strength and increase our power when we do. Surely the King of Kings knew what pursuing good without thanks or recognition was like. And yet, He rested in the Lord. We will grow weary of doing good, but if we continually put our hope, trust, and faith in the Lord, He alone will renew our strength.
Practically, resting in the Lord can mean building rhythms of rest and prayer into your daily schedule. The Sabbath is important, but so are daily Sabbath practices. Likewise, celebrating small wins matters! Keep a gratitude journal, record testimonies, and practice looking over answers to prayers, even if they’ve taken years to be fulfilled.
As you attempt these practices, remember that Christ didn’t create us to do life alone. Surround yourself with encouragers in your community, church, mentors, and family. As you do this, keep eternity in mind. I know it’s hard. I know you want to see the fruit of your labor now. I know you wish to see those answers to prayers ASAP. But remember: Fruit may come later or in Heaven. Your job isn’t the growth. Your job is to plant the seed.
Trusting God’s timing for this “harvest” doesn’t make sense to our finite minds. We want instant results and crockpot meals in a minute of microwave time. But seeds don’t sprout overnight—God’s timing isn’t just different, it’s better.
As a farmer plants his seeds, waters them, and gently spreads the fertilizer, he ultimately knows that the growth is up to the Lord. The growth is up to many, many factors outside of his control. And yet, he keeps on planting.
If we do not give up, we will reap a harvest in due season. This requires patience while waiting, but it is always worth it. I don’t know what you’re waiting for today, the prayers you’re waiting to see answered, or the good deeds that have gone unnoticed, but I know this: Stay faithful. Your seeds matter.
Friends, nothing is wasted in God’s Kingdom. Keep sowing, trusting God with the results, and being faithful in small and large seeds.
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