Weary of Doing Good
This is Day 28 of my 40 day Lenten Blog.
"And let us never grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up. So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith." (Galatians 6:9-10).
Do you ever get weary of doing good? Do you get tired of people asking you for money? Do you get tired of volunteering? Do you just get burned out? I'll admit I do.
I think the worst is when I feel like what I have done is not appreciated. I've spent lots of time or money or both for something I believe is a really good thing and it is met with silence. It becomes clear that the things I care about--that I think are important--are not the things that others care about or think are important. Or when I feel that I am personally not appreciated. When I bust my hump over and over to only be ignored and cast aside. In one instance I was unceremoniously removed from a ministry I had been unofficially running without any explanation. I was simply told someone else is going to be doing that now. It hurt. It broke my heart. It was my thing and it was taken away. I not only felt unappreciated, but unwanted.
After several of these type experiences I got weary of doing good. I was trying to get something done--something necessary, something I felt God specifically wanted done--but no one cared. NO ONE CARED! Worse, people got in my way. They prevented me from doing the good and then it didn't get done at all.
But really my problem is not with the people who do not appreciate the things I've done (that's between them and God). My problem is with myself and my own pride. I feel like I can actually save the world. I feel like I can build Christ's kingdom! If only people would support me instead of blocking me! If only the preacher would stop worrying about his stupid stained glass windows for a few minutes he might see we could do a whole lot of good! But that doesn't matter. Because in the end, despite what my pride tells me, I can't save the world.
God doesn't want me to repair houses or take the gospel to unreached people because He needs my help. He could speak a word and everyone would have a nice house to live in, plenty of food on the table, and access to His holy Word. God wants me to do it so that I can learn to love like He loves. He wants me to do it so that I can stop being self centered and focus on the needs of others. He wants me to do it, because He loves me and He knows that when I follow Him by doing good I am uniting myself to Him. I will not save the world. He will. So I should not be upset when I can't get the support I want. And I should do good even if no one else cares. After all God prefers when my good deeds go unnoticed by man, because the only person I should worry about, is Him.
Today's prayer:
God, help me to put my pride aside. Help me to realize that I can do nothing, but You do everything. Help me to never get weary of doing good. Amen.
R.C. VanLandingham is the author of the Christian fantasy novel Peter Puckett & The Amulet of Eternity. He lives in Florida with his beautiful wife and three wonderful boys.