A FAITH-FILLED, PROPHETIC WORD OF ENCOURAGEMENT!
June 11, 2024
BY CRYSTAL G.H. LOWERY
As I write this word of encouragement, I am in Kentucky sitting outside enjoying the beautiful weather, listening to the birds chirp, and looking at beautiful green rolling hills. In the midst of an already very full summer season (even though it’s still spring), I am contemplating and reminded of this journey we travel in life. We have traveled here for the week so that one of my children can go to a biology intensive camp. We had a lot to do to prepare to come, just like any other family. I spent two weeks before coming making sure all the laundry was done, all my work was up to date, making sure all the bills were paid before we left, and cleaning the house. I don’t like coming home to a dirty house! I even make sure there are clean sheets on the bed so they will be fresh when we get back.
This is just one of a number of things going on over the next month or two that is in addition to the normal responsibilities I have. I’m sure that so many of you can relate. Even if you don’t have children, you may be thinking of traveling now that it is nicer weather. Or…you may just have extra responsibilities on your plate. So many are juggling not only their own affairs, but also caring for children and their ageing parents. Others have overly full plates at work, taking on responsibilities of co-workers who for whatever reason have left important tasks undone. You may just be dripping mentally with too much to think about and it is dragging you down.
I was thinking about it being June already. It seems like we just went into 2024 with January around the corner. But, here we are, 6 months later…a half year later. About this time of year, you may begin to feel like the hard work and diligence from the hard winter months haven’t produced any fruit. You may feel like you want to celebrate, but there isn’t anything visible to celebrate.
Maybe you just want a little relief and for things to ease up a bit. I can relate. It seems like my responsibilities never ease up. As soon as I cross of one thing from my to do list, two more are added. We are taught to be responsible and hard (smart) working and diligent. We, as these kinds of adults, often sacrifice the now for the future. We try to do well now so that later, we will see a good harvest.
In Isaiah 1:17, we find out that we must LEARN to do well. This is a process, just like a child’s education. It takes years of learning to graduate to a new level. In fact, we should never stop learning. We aren’t just born with the knowing of how to do well. This is because we are born into a fallen world. We have to be TAUGHT and we have to LEARN. It takes time and patience. So many of us (as we should be) are in this process of LEARNING to do well. And we are LEARNING.
We may fall down, but we get back up again and try a different way, learning from mistakes. We learn to listen to the Holy Spirit, from the Word of God, and from the wisdom of godly people in our lives. We are diligently learning and with our goals set on what God has prepared for us…walk and step and skip and fall and get up and walk some more.
We are journeying on this path of doing well. This is good.
However, sometimes, we want to see the fruit of this long journey. So often, especially as it relates to parenting, people quote Gretchen Rubin: “The days are long, but the years are short.” The days do seem long…from the time we wake up until the time we go to sleep, there is a never-ending amount of responsibilities (or so it seems). But then, we wake up one day and suddenly it seems like our oldest child has turned 16 and has a learner’s driving permit.
There are very few people who intentionally do not want to do well. It seems like most people do want to do well. It is a matter of learning to actually do well though. In the process of these short years with long days, we can get weary from well doing. We may seem like we are in good spirits on the outside to other people, but on the inside, we are struggling. It is also easy to mask our struggles from ourselves too. We can hide behind busyness, addictions, and really anything for that matter. People are good at hiding their true state of being. But, God knew that we would be tempted to grow weary in well doing. There is even instruction for us in Galatians about not growing weary in our well doing.
Even Abraham grew weary in his well doing. Waiting for his Isaac for 25 years would include some very long days indeed…and to Abraham…it would seem to me that the years would be long as well. However, growing weary in the well doing produced an Ishmael which wasn’t the promise. We must be faithful to God’s promise and to God to keep learning to do well despite the long days and sometimes long years. Our goal should be the manifestation of the promise of Isaac and not Ishmael.
Using a strategy of being aware that weariness can lead us off the path of doing well is important. For example, I know that when I get tired, thoughts from the enemy can influence me more than when I have energy and am motivated. So, I try to organize my schedule and my to do’s so that it leaves room consistently to rest, not let stress build up, and so I am not overwhelmed. I have found that planning helps me immensely to keep on the process of learning to do well so I won’t grow weary in the well doing. For me, the learning part included learning to put this planning strategy in place. I’m still learning, but I refuse to give up because Galatians 6:9 (KJV) goes on to say…”for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.”
The ultimate reward at the end of this journey on earth is to hear the words, “Well done, good and faithful servant!” Until then, keep pressing on and learn to do well and not grow weary in the well doing!
Be encouraged today. We are all walking a faith journey. You aren’t walking alone. God is always with you. The Holy Spirit is our teacher and comforter. Listen to His instruction…from the greatest teacher and LEARN to do well. Keep LEARNING. Get back up. Take another step. And don’t grow weary in the faith journey of doing well. You WILL reap if you don’t give up. Based On Faith.
Crystal G.H. Lowery, Esq is a Christian Estate Planning Attorney and is the owner and founding attorney of Law Office Of Crystal G.H. Lowery, LLC. She is also an ordained minister who has a passion for sharing Jesus. Based on Faith is an organization whose vision is to become an international resource that increases biblical knowledge of faith within the Body of Christ through comprehensive teaching, discussion of law, and the prophetic.
Copyright 2024 ©, Crystal G.H. Lowery and Based on Faith. All Rights Reserved.