I can’t decide if I like the NIV or NKJV interpretation better…
Giving up versus losing heart…
They essentially mean the same thing, but one speaks more to the spirit, or about the ‘heart’ of the choosing to do good things.
It is, in my opinion, a reminder of the importance of perseverance.
9 And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart.
It’s such a short scripture, and yet it says a lot (at least to me).
It acknowledges the challenge in doing good things; after all, it’s not always easy to ‘take the high road’, to be generous, or even to be forgiving. Sometimes, I find it hard to just BE KIND. That can feel like a tall order to deliver.
It also reminds me that in the end, it will always benefit me to choose goodness our overarching goal.
If you think that statement is a Pollyanna response, you’re not wrong. The minute I typed it, I thought of several times when choosing to be kind or be ‘good’ or take the high road meant I was manipulated, taken advantage of or just plain got screwed over. THOSE instances sure didn’t make me feel like I was reaping any sort of positive harvest.
At the end of the day, or the end of the story, or the end of my life (which hopefully won’t be a for a long, long while….), I’d like to think that I will look back with regret on any time I chose a response or action that was not based on goodness. And while I may regret the immediate outcome of choosing to be ‘good’, (especially if I was taken advantage of, maligned or unjustly treated), I am confident that I will be more at peace with having chosen kindness over any other alternative.
It’s about playing the long game, after all.
