Nougat 30

Have you ever held, no nursed a grudge? I mean tried and true hard feelings, bad mouthing and avoidance grudge? Let’s be honest with God and ourselves even if we can’t say it to each other. I have, and it’s been a lifelong journey to recovery. Trust me on this. Today’s Holy Nougat offers one way to overcome.

“Let’s not get tired of doing good, because in time we’ll have a harvest if we don’t give up.” ‭‭Galatians‬ ‭6‬:‭9‬ ‭CEB‬‬

Unceasing

In the literal sense, to never be tired is worrying as we are running our systems down, and staring in the face of shutdown and/or burnout. But in this context, we can safely say it is about ‘stick-to-it-ivity’ and our resilience. While it poses a challenge for most of us, the fact is we often do persevere with other things that don’t carry as much long-term impact.

It’s a similar expectation for advanced studies or some forms of employment. For sure, many a doctorate student will agree that even the best topic of study has it’s frustrating, writer’s block moment. Likewise, the most beloved forms of employment can result in annoyance at times. And in those disconnected moments, we draw on our reserves to carry us over waves.

Of course, it feels way different when our goodness is taken for granted. It certainly feels like our pearls are cast to swine; and for me at least, it feels like grounds for annoyance. Ironically, it may be the we never tire of holding that grudge (OUCH), to which end I’d suggest that we may be in even greater danger than we think. In the meantime, we then have to discern whether we are aiming for pleasing God, ourselves, or others. For the right degree of angst, God’s got to be our motivation. Otherwise, we not only lose impetus, but we may also lose out spiritually.

The encouragement used imagery for farming, particularly harvesting. I note that the time we sow in doing good will influence future happenings. Conversely, the seeds of ‘bad-mind’, malcontent,or even begrudging, curmudgeonliness also have long-term yields. So the call to tirelessness is an invitation to influence our lives in the future.

I’m reminded of the parable of the fig tree in Luke 13. When the owner of the vineyard was ready to write off the fig tree for lack of fruit, the gardener offered to spend some more time with it. What if our role is that of the gardener, and doing good relates to the weeding, fertilizing and care given to the fig tree? Agreed, God doesn’t tire of us; nevertheless we do have a call to sow positively in others’ lives just as Jesus does for us (see Matthew 22:44 and Acts 2:33).

Doing good then invites us to reflect on the truism on forgiveness at the end of the Lord’s Prayer in Matthew 6 (verses 14-15) and the parable of the unjust servant (see Luke 6:27-38). For ultimately, when we ask to be forgiven as we forgive, that’s what it’s all about. It is not the Hokey Pokie , it’s Godly.

So, we focus on the big picture – our own forgiveness – and press past the grievances to love as we are loved. And in due season, we will indeed reap the benefits.

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May all we seek be found in Christ