Additional thoughts on Galatians 6:9-10
Haven't written a post for the blog in awhile!
It's crazy to think about how fast a year goes; but that is how long I have spent chewing on the book of Galatians and Paul's message to these people. It's actually been a year and two months since I was encouraged to spend time in this book and receive what God had for me in it.
I took a moment today to read over the last blog I had written in February and I was in tears by the end of it. It happened to be the very message I needed to be reminded of this day in May written from my studies and pondering with Jesus in February.
"Do Good and Don't quit".
Paul said that. He took the time to remind everyone that the fruit of our labors may not be apparent in the moment or even years to come, but that IF we refused to give up, we would reap what we have sown.
Have you ever realized how easy it is to forget whom we're working with and to what end on this earth? I sure have. It is so easy to forget it's Jesus for Jesus when the going get's tough...
How many of us have been in a season of life that when you are actually doing things from the right heart posture and in alignment with God's plan only to be completely misunderstood and sometimes even slandered or persecuted in that place? How many have felt the weariness of the perceived lack of justice in that same scenario? Isn't it tiring? Isn't heart-wrenching? Honestly, it sucks!
As I'm writing this post, I've moved on to studying Job. That guy knew exactly what this felt like. He remained vigilant in his devotion to God in deep suffering even when his closest friends were conviced he had sinned and needed to repent. His closest friends wouldn't listen to his heart because their assumptions based on the circumstances persuaded them to believe something else...
When you're misunderstood by the very community you love; continuing to do good a part from any reciprocity IS HARD. Do you hear me? Sometimes the people you desire the MOST to understand you and your life are the exact ones that just don't...
May I suggest something I'm learning from Job, though?
In our desire for belonging and significance, it is in these seasons of life we are the most vulnerable to the need for affirmation and encouragement from the world around us (and, more generally, our closest relationships and communities). This is not inherently wrong. I would even say it is how we were designed for community that when there is a "hole" that needs to be filled in our life, there is another person that can "fill" that place; intentionally (and yes, there is a healthy way for this to work and a million other unhealthy ways that it doesn't). Hayley Braun teaches about this exact phenomenon in her and Melissa Casey's online class Checking Your Vitals. I am taking one of their concepts and expanding it from a personal trait to an experiential part of life; but, the fact is that where we can perceive lack, God gives opportunity for others to plug in. To summarize, in our weakness He is strong and part of that strength is found demonstrated by Jesus in our relationships and communities.
What's the point?
People are in process and people get things wrong, even when our hearts and intentions are right.
"Do Good and Don't quit".
So. Even when people get us wrong. Especially when they get us wrong. It's a choice to keep doing good and to keep going so that we get to be a part of the breakthrough. Doing good cannot rest on reciprocation. Love cannot be transactional.
This is why I said, "In our desire for belonging and significance, it is in hard seasons of life we are the most vulnerable to the need for affirmation and encouragement." It is a warning I have learned for myself that my good design presents me with a choice in the hardest parts of my life to either find this belonging and significance and approval from the world around me or find it in Jesus. By the way, I've totally missed this in said seasons and found myself broken-hearted, lost and angry for the lack of reciprocation from the exact source I should have never had that expectation for....furthermore, I've been totally convicted by God to realize I had placed my faith in the "praises of men" rather than Him. What does this mean? I was looking for affirmation from community to validate what God was doing in my life rather than finding that peace in God and loving my community well regardless of their responses or lack there of. Which, by the way, there are healthy and constructive ways to improve our responses and relationships with one another; but often times it is the way we deal with the perceived rejection of these moments that give us the opportunity to fight or flight. It's easy to validate quitting when quitting IS justified, right? But we're not to quit...
You guys, THIS IS HARD.
"Do Good and Don't quit". For who? God.
Which leads me to the addition to my previous blog of "Do good and Don't quit." The motivation and source of our lives is God. We love Him because He first loved us (1 John 4:19) when we totally missed who Jesus was (Romans 5:8) and what He did for us. He already lived through and demonstated the extreme of how hard it would be to live this life for the praises of heaven rather than of the world. Jesus knew what it was to be betrayed by his closest friends, disowned by his own people and removed from the very world He created....but for the joy set before Him, He endured the cross (Hebrews 12:2) and now sits at the right hand of God as our author and perfecter of the exact faith that allows to do good and move steadfastly forward towards the day He returns. A VICTORIOUS bride is a bride that has had victory in the battle! Victory comes with a fight; sometimes one that isn't seen by anyone else around you.
So- I SEE YOU. Keep going!
Friends, if life is hard right now, if you are misunderstood; if you have been slandered, passed over, forgotten, misrepresented, gossiped about, mistreated, etc. Do NOT grow weary, angry, bitter, vengeful or weak. Keep doing good. Keep your heart clean. Do not do good to receive good, but do it for God (Matthew 6:3). I promise that this method of warfare, and it aboslutely is, will keep you on the path to see God's goodness in your life (Psalm 27:13) because of the hope set before you, who is Jesus Christ, himself.
Eph 3:20
Lyndsie
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