And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up.
— Galatians 6:9
This has become one of my favorite verses in the Bible. As a pastor, I meet with so many people who are ready to throw in the proverbial towel. And trust me, I get it. I can’t tell you how many times I have felt like the payoff is not worth the effort. Why be persistent in doing good and trusting God when nothing seems to be breaking your way?
The problem here is that we don’t immediately see any results. The season for harvesting doesn’t run simultaneously with the season for planting. Every farmer knows this, and that’s why Paul tells the Galatians, who live in an agrarian society, to patiently wait for the harvest of righteousness like they wait for the agricultural harvest season each year.
It’s the waiting that makes us weary. If we saw the results immediately, we would eat better, save more, exercise regularly, and probably work harder. However, that’s not how it works. The principle of the harvest means that you will wait longer but harvest more than you planted. At the end of the day, it comes down to trust. Each of us must trust that God will ultimately do what he says he will do. The delay is actually building our faith. It’s a win-win.
Instant gratification is what we desire, but it is not best for us. There is a theological construct called the already/not yet. The concept is that God has already secured the result, but we have not yet realized it. It is a matter of faith. According to 1 Corinthians 13:13, the best thing about faith is that it will endure forever. You are making deposits into the eternal when you develop faith. You’ll see. Just wait.