Galatians 6:9-10
This is our last week in Galatians 6:1-10. While the work done over the last six weeks has not been comprehensive, I sure have enjoyed looking more closely at the passage. Our last set of verses is Galatians 6:9-10:
"Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers."
Gal. 6:7-8 talked about the reality that we reap what we sow and that sowing to please the Spirit leads to eternal life. Now we are given a very practical way to sow to the Spirit: "doing good" (vs 9).
The idea is simple and straighforward but it is not without challenges. There are three I see in the text:
1) In order to reap a harvest, we need to resist weariness and not give up. Each of us needs to monitor ourselves so that we don't "lose heart" (NASB). We need to figure out how not to become weary in doing good for ourselves and to encourage those around us to not give up.
2) We are to do good to all people as we have opportunity. Determining the opportunities around us takes discernment. No one can do everything yet each of us has something to contribute to others. It takes keeping in step with the Spirit to realize and participate in the situations to do good that God gives us.
3) We are to do good particularly to those in the family of faith. Or as the Message puts it: "starting with the people closest to us in the community of faith." Sometimes we find it easier to do good to those who are distant from us (for example: sponsoring a child in a developing nation) or different from us (for example: teaching English to a recent immigrant). While these are wonderful opportunities, they cannot replace daily acting in beneficial ways towards those closest to us.
Please don't let the challenges overwhelm you or deter you from obedience! Keep doing good!
One of the areas I'm increasingly interested in is the good work of preventing abuse and working with those who have been abused. Through my work at a Women's Shelter, I've come across several on-line resources that help us learn about abuse, its prevention, and how to stop it. I thought I'd pass on these links to you as this may also be part of the "doing good" God calls you to.
Canadian Centre for Child Protection http://www.protectchildren.ca/app/en/
It has links to many other websites including:
http://www.kidsintheknow.ca/app/en/ with age appropriate safety strategies for children.
http://www.commit2kids.ca/app/en/ which helps organizations prevent sexual abuse.
Little Warriors http://littlewarriors.ca/prevention/prevention-information/ has a seven step approach for the prevention of sexual abuse.
ShelterNet http://www.shelternet.ca/splashPage.htm has information in several languages about domestic violence and the shelters in Canada.
Faith Trust Institute is an American multi-faith organization working to end sexual and domestic violence. http://www.faithtrustinstitute.org/resources/learn-the-basics
"Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers."
Gal. 6:7-8 talked about the reality that we reap what we sow and that sowing to please the Spirit leads to eternal life. Now we are given a very practical way to sow to the Spirit: "doing good" (vs 9).
The idea is simple and straighforward but it is not without challenges. There are three I see in the text:
1) In order to reap a harvest, we need to resist weariness and not give up. Each of us needs to monitor ourselves so that we don't "lose heart" (NASB). We need to figure out how not to become weary in doing good for ourselves and to encourage those around us to not give up.
2) We are to do good to all people as we have opportunity. Determining the opportunities around us takes discernment. No one can do everything yet each of us has something to contribute to others. It takes keeping in step with the Spirit to realize and participate in the situations to do good that God gives us.
3) We are to do good particularly to those in the family of faith. Or as the Message puts it: "starting with the people closest to us in the community of faith." Sometimes we find it easier to do good to those who are distant from us (for example: sponsoring a child in a developing nation) or different from us (for example: teaching English to a recent immigrant). While these are wonderful opportunities, they cannot replace daily acting in beneficial ways towards those closest to us.
Please don't let the challenges overwhelm you or deter you from obedience! Keep doing good!
One of the areas I'm increasingly interested in is the good work of preventing abuse and working with those who have been abused. Through my work at a Women's Shelter, I've come across several on-line resources that help us learn about abuse, its prevention, and how to stop it. I thought I'd pass on these links to you as this may also be part of the "doing good" God calls you to.
Canadian Centre for Child Protection http://www.protectchildren.ca/app/en/
It has links to many other websites including:
http://www.kidsintheknow.ca/app/en/ with age appropriate safety strategies for children.
http://www.commit2kids.ca/app/en/ which helps organizations prevent sexual abuse.
Little Warriors http://littlewarriors.ca/prevention/prevention-information/ has a seven step approach for the prevention of sexual abuse.
ShelterNet http://www.shelternet.ca/splashPage.htm has information in several languages about domestic violence and the shelters in Canada.
Faith Trust Institute is an American multi-faith organization working to end sexual and domestic violence. http://www.faithtrustinstitute.org/resources/learn-the-basics
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