Nothing Worthwhile Is Ever Easy

“Let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up.” Galatians 6:9 (NLT) Many different things can keep me from completing my life's mission. Is my worst enemy discouragement or procrastination. If Satan can’t get me to quit your life mission, he’ll try to get me to delay it.  The apostle Paul teaches that I need to resist discouragement: “Let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up” (Galatians 6:9 NLT). I get tired of doing what’s right. Sometimes it seems easier to do the wrong thing than the right thing. But that’s exactly when I must refuse to be discouraged. When I'm discouraged, I become ineffective. When I'm discouraged, I work against my own faith. When I'm discouraged, it’s as if I'm saying, “It can’t be done.” That’s the exact opposite of saying, “I know God can do it because of what he said.” Today, as I consider how well I resist discouragement, I can keep in mind the following: How do I handle failure? When things don’t go my way, do I get grumpy? When things don’t go my way, do I get frustrated? When things don’t go my way, do I start complaining? Do I finish what I start? How persistent am I? If I'm discouraged, it’s time to resist. Don’t give up without a fight. Nothing worthwhile ever happens without endurance and energy, and as John Maxwell says, "Everything worthwhile is uphill", you never coast your way to the top. When an artist creates a sculpture, he has to keep chipping away. He doesn’t hit the chisel with the hammer once, and suddenly all the excess stone falls away, revealing a beautiful masterpiece. He keeps hitting and hitting, chipping away at the stone.  That’s true of life too. Nothing worthwhile ever comes easily. You want to keep hitting it and going after it, and little by little your life becomes a masterpiece of God’s grace. Great people are really just ordinary people with an extraordinary amount of determination. Great people don’t know how to quit. So, the next time I feel discouraged, remember God is with me and God is for me and I will reap a harvest of blessing if I don’t give up. In summary:  This emphasizes the importance of perseverance in achieving meaningful goals. Drawing from Galatians 6:9, we are encouraged not to give up doing good, despite feelings of discouragement or procrastination. Discouragement and procrastination can hinder progress, but resisting them leads to blessings in the end. Setbacks and failures are inevitable, but persistence is key to overcoming them. Like an artist chiseling away at a sculpture, continuous effort eventually leads to a masterpiece. Greatness comes from determination, and with God's support, I can reap the rewards if I don't give up.