The principle of ‘you reap what you sow’ is both obvious and profound. If you sow a field full of wheat, you would be crazy to expect a crop of potatoes. It’s so obvious, but the message fundamentally challenges the way in which we live every day because each word that we speak and action that we perform will have consequences. If we are kind, gracious and loving, there will be one kind of outcome, and if we are spiteful, angry and destructive, there will be a completely different result.

Paul drew the conclusion that we should therefore not become tired of doing good things, knowing that sooner or later there will be a good harvest. Of course, the problem quite often is that it takes a long time to see any positive outcome from doing good. It is possible to work in a children’s or youth club for years before you see any positive outcomes. I have known people work in local churches for decades without seeing any tangible successes. Indeed, sometimes people are unkind and critical of the things that we do, and it all feels like terribly hard work.

All of this means that we need to focus our energies on ensuring that we plant good seed. That was precisely Paul’s situation with the Galatian church. He faced fierce opposition, and many people wanted him to believe that he had got it all wrong, but he knew that the seed he was planting was the best. The good news of salvation was a message of hope and liberty that would never let people down, so he kept preaching it, however cruel and resistant people might be. Similarly, we will often find ourselves in situations that are tough and unrewarding and, if we are convinced that we are doing God’s good work, he will always encourage us to hang in there, knowing that a good harvest will definitely result one day.

In what situations or relationships are you needing to ‘hang in there’ at the moment?

Lord God, thank you for the work that you call me to do. Help me to keep doing good even when it is tough and unrewarding. Amen