“And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.”
My Notes
What Does Galatians 6:9 Mean?
Paul writes to the churches in Galatia, encouraging them in a letter largely focused on freedom from legalism and the fruit of living by the Spirit. This verse comes near the end as a practical exhortation: keep going.
The word "weary" (enkakeo) means to lose heart, to become spiritless, to give up inwardly before you give up outwardly. Paul knows that doing good is exhausting — not because the good itself is wrong, but because the results are often invisible and the opposition is real.
"In due season" introduces timing that belongs to God, not to you. There is a season for harvest, and it will come. But "due" implies it operates on its own schedule, not yours.
The conditional clause is the key: "if we faint not." The harvest is promised, but it has a condition — that you don't quit. The temptation isn't usually to do evil. It's to stop doing good because nothing seems to come from it. Paul addresses that specific, quiet form of defeat.
Reflection Questions
- 1.What 'well doing' are you most tempted to give up on right now because you can't see results?
- 2.How do you tell the difference between healthy rest and the 'fainting' Paul warns against?
- 3.What does 'due season' mean to you — and how do you stay faithful when the season feels overdue?
- 4.Have you ever experienced a harvest from something you almost gave up on? What kept you going?
Devotional
The hardest kind of tired isn't from failure. It's from faithfulness that doesn't seem to produce anything.
You've been doing the right thing. Showing up. Being generous. Being patient. Doing the quiet, invisible work that nobody notices. And nothing seems to change. That's the weariness Paul is talking about — the bone-deep exhaustion of well-doing without visible reward.
Don't be weary in it. That's easier to say than to live. But Paul adds something crucial: in due season, we shall reap. There is a harvest coming. It's not on your timeline — it's on God's. And the only thing that can forfeit it is quitting.
If we faint not. Four words that carry the weight of the whole verse. The harvest isn't in question. Your faithfulness is the variable. Not your perfection — your persistence.
What good work have you been tempted to give up on? The one that feels pointless, invisible, thankless? Paul says: keep going. The season is coming. Don't let the delay convince you the seeds aren't growing.
Commentary
Trusted original commentary from respected historical Bible scholars and theologians.
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The metaphor which runs through these verses suggests a caution. The husbandman after committing the seed to the ground,…
Cross References
Related passages throughout Scripture