Galatians 6:9 Do not grow weary of doing good

All true believers understand that doing good (or well-doing) is an important part of being a disciple of Christ. The verse we are focused on in this article is Galatians chapter 6 and verse 9 and this is what it says about doing good:

And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up.

An agricultural background

Galatians 6:9 has as its context an agricultural background. We can see that by reading the verses surrounding it:

Let the one who is taught the word share all good things with the one who teaches. Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap. For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life. And let us not 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: 6-10

When a plant seeds are placed in the soil, it will eventually grow to be plant many times bigger than the original seeds. The plant is then reaped or harvested to obtain the reward or benefit of originally planting those seeds and growing that plant (or crop). The apostle Paul, in these verses from Galatians, teaches that what men reap is the result of what they have sown….except what they reap will be many times bigger than what they sowed.

Therefore, if you sow to the flesh (i.e. live independently of God) you will reap corruption (moral and spiritual decay leading to disobedience to God and eventual death). But if you sow to the Spirit (which leads to obedience to God) you will reap life everlasting (you will be granted eternal life in the future where you will never die).

In the Galatians passage above, the value of the reaping will be dependent on the quality of the sowing. If we dedicate our time to doing good, then we will find the harvest will be good. Eternal life will not be granted based on someone who lives a Christian life characterised by being half-hearted; being lukewarm; intentionally delaying God’s work (procrastinating); a temporary nature (sometimes God is in their life, other times he is not). In other words, sowers (believers) are expected to be persistent, faithful and hardworking. For a believer to sow is an act of faith. It is done hopefully, trusting that God will do His part, giving the increase and making harvest.

To do good means something which is fundamentally good and which is fair and beautiful. It means doing things which are honourable and noble, things which are ethically right.

What does it mean to be “doing good”?

Two verses explain what it means to be good or as some versions of the Bible say “Well-doing”.

who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works. Titus 2:14

And also Hebrews 10:24:

And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works,

I think most believers would agree that we must be doing good. However, they may not agree on what it actually means to be doing good. It is really up to the disciples to use their judgement. If we think about it, probably the best good work is to teach the Gospel to the unbelievers. For they are the ones who are lost and need saving. This probably should be the highest priority out of all the good works.

In Romans chapter 1 and verse 14, Paul said he was a debtor to the Greeks. This is how it is translated in the New King James Version:

I am a debtor both to Greeks and to barbarians, both to wise and to unwise.

So what did he mean by being a “debtor” to the Greeks. The English Standard Version shines a bit more light on what he meant:

I am under obligation both to Greeks and to barbarians, both to the wise and to the foolish.

It means that Paul saw himself as being in debt to any man who did not have salvation. Welldoing is to do that which is honourable and there is nothing better than honourably to discharge that debt. To have that opportunity and to neglect it is to be in debt dishonourably. His debt or obligation was to preach the message of salvation to everyone he encountered. If he didn’t do it he would be failing in his duty to God.

Paul had received the grace of God and the gospel of Jesus Christ. Because this free gift was entrusted to him, he had an obligation to pass it on to others. Therefore, it means he had an obligation to that other person. He had a moral and spiritual duty as an apostle to the Gentiles. This is what it means to be doing “good works” or “doing good”.

Referring back to the verse we are considering (Galatian 6:9), it means sowing seed on dry, inhospitable ground and waiting to see if anything sprouts from that ground. This is what “doing good” is all about. It is good…it is fair…it is beautiful.

And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!” Romans 10:15

Other forms of “doing good”

Besides preaching the Gospel there are other ways of doing good. One of the best other ways of doing good is to do works of mercy, helping those in need and showing compassion to those who are either bereft or bereaved.

The story of the Good Samaritan in Luke chapter 10 verses 25 to 37 is a good example of, in mercy, doing good for others. It is well worth taking the time to read. The story teaches us a great deal about well-doing. Part of the reason it is “good” because it cost us time, money, trouble and inconvenience. In other words, it requires a sacrifice of some form from us to do this good work.

That story concludes with Jesus saying in verses 36 and 37:

Which of these three, do you think, proved to be a neighbour to the man who fell among the robbers?” He said, “The one who showed him mercy.” And Jesus said to him, “You go, and do likewise.”

We are being told by Jesus to likewise go and show mercy to others. In other words, be moved by compassion and go and do good to others in need.

Doing good works in secret

In Matthew 6 verses 1 to 4 we are given clear instruction about how we ought to perform this kind of well-doing.

“Beware of practicing your righteousness before other people in order to be seen by them, for then you will have no reward from your Father who is in heaven. “Thus, when you give to the needy, sound no trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may be praised by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.

The passage can be summed up by the words “do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing.” It means when we arrange to do good works they must not be done in a showy fashion to impress others but as far as possible they must be done quietly and secretly. They need to be done efficiently and lovingly by all viable means……but as far as possible unobtrusively. That may mean works which are done by yourself or with another rather than in a crowd.

The motive of the person

When doing good, a person’s motive is very important. To repeat the verse quoted above:

“Thus, when you give to the needy, sound no trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may be praised by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. Matthew 6:2

This is referring to what the Pharisees did – they craved the praise of others. Jesus tells us that this displeased God as it was not in harmony with His purpose. He wants the person doing the good works to have the correct motive (which is not seeking praise from others).

There are particular things related to doing good works that pleases God. He wants to see us doing good works for others in secret, he also wants to see self-denial, praying and giving. Doing good works or being kind should not be limited (or not done at all) because they need to be done in secret. Doing good works in secret is just to show us how we should do these in the correct way. We shouldn’t do them in a boastful way seeking praise from others.

If you choose to not be kind to someone, it should not be for the reason that somebody may find out. It is better to just do it and act with love towards that person. If the person is a stranger, that should not stop us from offering them a kind hand. Indeed that needy stranger may be influenced by your compassion and may want to learn about the God you worship.

To be a true disciple includes doing works of mercy towards those in need. When we show mercy, it should not be because we have to but rather because we want to with cheerfulness.

Growing weary

In the verse we are focused on, Galatians 6:9, it says “And let us not grow weary of doing good”. This is not talking about getting tired. Tiredness can be fixed by resting so that we are ready to go again. This verse is talking about something different – weariness. Weariness is losing heart and losing hope. It is heading towards being depressed and sighing instead of singing. It is not being motivated to do your best for God.

As a believer, we should keep the vision of reaping and the harvest bright, and be ready to push aside any weariness that we can feel coming on. Always remember those words of Galatians chapter 6 and verse 9:

And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up.