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)
Why does one grow weary? One blog I read suggested that we become weary when the outcome of our actions disappoints us, when we must wait, and when we compare ourselves to others.[1] Other reasons come to mind: we’re trying to do it on our own, we are trying to do too much, we have refused to rest and replenish our souls. I am sooo guilty, but there’s one more that should be mentioned: we get weary of doing good because we spend so much energy on defending ourselves or building our fortress and stockpile of weapons for when we need to defend ourselves. If you have five gallons of gas to get yourself to a location that requires four gallons of gas, and you use three gallons of gas running errands that have nothing to do with getting to that location, of course, you’ll run out of gas or have to stop somewhere and buy more.
Another term comes to mind that is the bedfellow of
defensiveness: distraction. I clean in five-minute intervals because if I give
myself half an hour to clean a room, I end up puttering, reading, and
reorganizing recipe cards that sit in a box, looking organized, while the table
is loaded with stuff. Put amusingly, the timer defends me from
distraction. But feeling as if I need to defend myself even when no one is attacking
distracts me from doing what I set out to do.
The solution? Unfortunately, it’s self-control. It involves
letting go of control of the outcome, disciplining ourselves to wait
(patience!), and keeping our eyes on God rather than others or ourselves. It involves
seeking the help of God, and potentially of other people, and practicing good
self-care. And it involves eliminating negative distractions – unnecessary activities
that devour our attention and energy.
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