Patience for Progress

A key identifier of a life that thryves in God is progress. Where there’s progress, there is growth. If there’s an absence of growth, then there is an absence of progress. If there’s no progress, there is no success. So as a believer it is our goal and responsibility to pursue progress. The challenge, however, is that while the need for progress is obvious, progress itself is not so obvious. The truth is the fruit of progress is often hidden under the soil of time and consistent effort. I want to start this week by encouraging you that there is a harvest waiting for you. There is a harvest on the other side of the soil of your time and consistent effort. But in order to see the harvest that we call progress, you need patience. Therefore our focus this week of prayer is Patience for Progress.

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)

In his letter to the churches in Galatia, Paul pens these words of encouragement: "Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.” As a person looking from the outside looking in, Paul recognizes the progress of these growing believers and he’s also aware of what stands between them and the harvest of their labor and it’s a lack of patience that’s been revealed through weariness. When something becomes weary or worn, it has become exhausted. A weary believer is a believer that has lost his/her strength, vigor or freshness. My encouragement and prayer for you today is that you would stay fresh. You’ve come further than you can see and there’s a harvest waiting on you as long as you commit to staying fresh and full of strength.

In this specific portion of his letter (Galatians 6), Paul emphasizes on the value of doing good. As a thryving citizen of the Kingdom of God, your life is a representation of God’s character and heaven’s culture. This means as a believer, all that you do is connected to who God is. God is good. Everything about Him is good. That which He produces is good. The psalmist declares that we should give God our thanks because He is good (Psalm 136:1). Jesus describes Him as a good Father with whom none can be compared. God is good. It’s who He is. Here’s what’s amazing though, because you are a believer, the Spirit of the same good God resides on the inside of you. Therefore there’s goodness inside of you and you carry good DNA. Because of this truth, I want to encourage you to do good.

Paul said, “Let us not become weary in doing good” (Galatians 6:9). In the Greek the word used for good means honorable. As you go throughout this day, week, season, year, approach every assignment in an honorable way. In other words do good. Put forth your best effort. God is good, He resides in you and you represent Him, therefore do good. Remember, there’s a harvest on the other side. Be patient in the process and you’ll see the progress.

In the process of growing crops farmers understand the significance of time. While they cannot control time, they respect the power of time. So instead of working against it, they work with it knowing that if they honor it, there will be a harvest on the other side. We have talented individuals in our congregation, such as Mother Williams who does a fantastic job with her personal garden she grows in her back yard. As for me, I’ve never really attempted to grow anything because I recognize that I have an issue with how much time it takes to grow something before it’s ready to be enjoyed. In other words, I don’t quite have the patience for how long it takes to enjoy the fruit of your labor. I may want to enjoy the fruit today, but the fruit isn’t ready to be picked. A perfect example of this are strawberries. Here in Hillsborough County there are farms that have harvested millions of strawberries that will reach supermarkets as far as Brooklyn, NY. But just about two months ago, if we looked at the same strawberry patches, instead of seeing the beautiful red juicy strawberries, we would see some little green ones and maybe a few that are just beginning to turn red. Back to me, because of my impatience and greed, I want strawberries today, but the ultimate truth is that timing is not proper, the harvest is not ready.

In our focus text, Apostle Paul says, "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 want to encourage you today to  patiently wait for the proper timing. I know that this can prove to be difficult, especially when you cannot always clearly see your progress. But I believe that harvest on the other side of the soil of your consistent effort and the proper timing will be greater than you can imagine. So today, like the farmers I encourage you to not become frustrated with time, but to honor it and you will experience your harvest at the proper time.

You will reap! This is not a statement of hope, nor is it a suggestion, but it is a fact. You will reap! Paul says it this way in Galatians 6:7, "Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows.” This is a universal law proven in every way that whatever is sown is what shall be reaped. So without question, I want you to know that you will reap! A harvest is in your future! Your efforts have not been wasted but invested and you are going to see benefit!

Now before your excitement overtakes you, I want you to understand the weight of this truth: “A man reaps what he sows.” This means that the quality of your reaping is dependent on the quality of not only what you’ve sown but how you've nurtured that which you have sown. In other words, your harvest is coming and soon it will reveal the truth about how you’ve managed since the time of sowing. How you’ve managed your assignment, your attitude, your demeanor, your relationships, your focus, your energy – all of this will be revealed at the time of harvest.

The mothers in the church would sing a song on Sunday mornings that embodies this truth so heavily, it says “Put your time in, pay day’s coming after while!” It seems so simple, but those mothers were declaring the universal law that “A man reaps what he sows.” I believe that this is why Apostle Paul was so strong in his encouragement to not become weary in doing good because Paul understood that the harvest will follow. You will reap! This is not a statement of hope, nor is it a suggestion, but it is a fact. For someone this is a truth that inspires celebration. For another this a sobering truth that exposes the how I’ve managed this moment. Let it be a truth that grounds you, encourages you, corrects you and invigorates you as you grow in patience through the process.

Today as we close out this week of devotion and prayer, I want to give you three words of encouragement: Don’t give up! Say those words aloud to yourself, “Don’t give up!” For someone as you’ve said those words, your circumstances were speaking to you at the same time. That financial burden, the diagnosis from the doctor, your child’s behavior, that challenge at work, or the grief in your heart from losing someone dear to you. I’m not unaware that life gets hard. I don’t live in a fairytale secluded from society. The world is full of trouble and challenges everywhere we go. But I want you to be encouraged that there’s someone else who’s not unaware of your circumstances and that’s God. He was not surprised by your adversity and nor is He feared by it. God loves you and has purpose for you. And just like the Apostle Paul, I’m confident that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus (Philippians 1:6). God will finish what He started in you. But there’s one thing you must do: Don’t give up! There’s a harvest on the other side of this. Harvest in your family, your marriage, your health, your finances, your job, your business, your ministry, your destiny. Do not abandon your harvest by giving up. You’ve come too far. The reward is too great. Stay fresh, do good, trust God’s timing. Because you will reap if you don’t give up!

Did you know that Thryve Church prays together 365 days a year? Join us Monday-Friday at 6:30am & Saturdays at 8am for "Prayer at the Altar" by dialing 339- 207-7471 and then join us Sundays at 11am for Worship Service! Learn more here!