Lesson 188:Do Good Even When It Hurts

  
Pastor J. W. Binion
Pvt. Edward F. Arthur Camp 1783 SCV
5th Ky. Infantry CSA

Galatians 6 Dear brothers and sisters, if another Christian is overcome by some sin, you who are godly should gently and humbly help that person back onto the right path. And be careful not to fall into the same temptation yourself. 2 Share each other’s troubles and problems, and in this way obey the law of Christ. 3 If you think you are too important to help someone in need, you are only fooling yourself. You are really a nobody.

4 Be sure to do what you should, for then you will enjoy the personal satisfaction of having done your work well, and you won’t need to compare yourself to anyone else. 5 For we are each responsible for our own conduct.6 Those who are taught the word of God should help their teachers by paying them.7 Don’t be misled. Remember that you can’t ignore God and get away with it. You will always reap what you sow! 8 Those who live only to satisfy their own sinful desires will harvest the consequences of decay and death. But those who live to please the Spirit will harvest everlasting life from the Spirit. 9 So don’t get tired of doing what is good. Don’t get discouraged and give up, for we will reap a harvest of blessing at the appropriate time. 10 Whenever we have the opportunity, we should do good to everyone, especially to our Christian brothers and sisters. NLT

My brothers and sisters, this passage from St. Paul’s letter to the Galatian Church is one we don’t think about often – but it contains some thoughts that we might want to remember. The first thing is that we who call ourselves Christian should always be ready to help a brother/sister who has slipped – not condemn them. We have to be ready, willing, and able to share the troubles and concerns of others. I love the way the New Living Translation puts it in the third verse; “If you think you are too important to help someone in need, you are only fooling yourself. You are really a nobody.” Some times we just get too big for our britches and think we are too important to help folks.

In the fifth verse we are reminded that we are responsible for our own conduct – responsible to whom? To God! You can fool others with your words, and sometimes with your actions – but (as Grandma used to tell me) you will NEVER fool God, He knows your heart and what motivates you – it is what is in your heart that will either justify you or condemn you.

How many times did your parents, grandparents, and preachers of old tell you – “You will reap what you sow.”? Here St. Paul is telling the Galatians the same thing. You can not plant an apple tree and expect to harvest watermelons; you can not put out potatoes and expect to bring in grapes; if you sow discord and strife you are going to eventually harvest a crop you don’t want.

There are times when you will get tired of continually doing good and getting slapped in the face by your friends, family, and co-workers – but keep the words of this passage in your thinking. “So don’t get tired of doing what is good. Don’t get discouraged and give up, or we will reap a harvest of blessing at the appropriate time. Whenever we have the opportunity, we should do good to everyone, especially to our Christian brothers and sisters.” In other words, keep the faith; keep on keeping on for the Lord and He will take care of you and what the world does really doesn’t matter. Be blessed and remember to love one another, even when it is hard to do. Chaplain J. W. Binion, D.P.Min.