Don’t be deceived: God is not mocked. For whatever a person sows he will also reap, because the one who sows to his flesh will reap destruction from the flesh, but the one who sows to the Spirit will reap eternal life from the Spirit. Let us not get tired of doing good, for we will reap at the proper time if we don’t give up. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us work for the good of all, especially for those who belong to the household of faith. 6:7-10
The law of the harvest is that “you reap whatever you sow.” In short, if you invest time, energy, and money to please your flesh you will reap destruction but if you invest your time, energy, and money on spiritual things (and walking in the Spirit) you will reap eternal life. Yet, we don’t always see this investment on the front end. Sometimes we invest in others, we invest in the gospel and we invest in God’s kingdom only to see slow growth with many obstacles. Consider our brothers and sisters who are laboring in mission fields among difficult Muslim people groups. Often they are doing all the right things and they are investing their time, resources, and hearts wisely only to see little fruit. They often face obstacles and persecution as a “result” of their labor.
Yet, this is where the promise of verse 9 comes in. To me, it is a promise that I cling to whenever I face a difficult road. “Let us not get tired of doing good, for we will reap at the proper time if we don’t give up.” God is faithful and His reward will come. We don’t always see the reward immediately and the road is often long and difficult. Yet, we can cling to this exhortation to not grow weary of doing the right thing. Eventually, you will reap a harvest if you do not give up. I like the way the CSB puts it… you will reap at the proper time if you don’t give up. It is not just about the promise of a harvest or the encouragement to not give up… it is all about the proper time. God is in control and He has a plan. As we faithfully serve Him, He will bring the harvest (not us) and He will do it in His time (not ours). Whatever God has you sowing in His Holy Spirit, don’t give up; be faithful and trust Him. Even if you don’t see it come in your time, you can know that the harvest is still guaranteed to come.
