Sustained by Grace

“Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.” Galatians 6:9 (NIV)

At the center of the human soul is a God‑given desire to do good — a desire awakened and sustained by grace. And in the midst of the most difficult situations, you find people who have answered that call to bring healing, comfort, and kindness. When floods rage in different parts of the country, churches and relief agencies are often the first boots on the ground — bringing supplies, offering temporary shelter, and helping communities rebuild what has been lost.

This good is what we are called to; it’s what we strive to answer. But Paul cautions us not to grow weary — because goodness, real goodness, is not easy. It asks something of us. It stretches us. It costs us. There are days when compassion feels heavy, when patience runs thin, when the needs around us seem endless. Paul knows that. And so, he reminds us that our labor in love is never wasted. In God’s time, he says, a harvest will come.

And the Wesleyan tradition picks up Paul’s encouragement with its own familiar rhythm — not a direct quote from John Wesley, but deeply Wesleyan in spirit: “Do all the good you can, by all the means you can, in all the ways you can, in all the places you can, at all the times you can, to all the people you can, as long as ever you can.” It’s a reminder that goodness is not a momentary act but a way of life shaped by grace. 

So, what do we do with the weariness that threatens to slow our steps? We return to the places where grace renews us. We let Scripture speak again to our tired hearts. We let prayer steady our restless spirits. We let worship remind us that we are not carrying this calling alone. Goodness is not sustained by sheer effort — it is sustained by the God who meets us each day with new mercies. 

And as we are renewed, we find that goodness becomes possible again — not because we are strong, but because God is faithful. The harvest comes not through our striving, but through God’s grace at work in us.

Lord, strengthen us when we grow weary. Renew us in your Word. Restore us in prayer. Give us rest when our compassion feels thin, and courage when goodness feels costly. Help us to do all the good we can, in all the ways we can, for as long as you give us breath. And let your grace be our strength. Amen.

Peace & Grace,

Pastor Tim