From my reading in Galatians 6 in the One Year Bible New Testament.

If you are tired of serving or just tempted to be lazy in your ministry here are some good principles to think about from Paul.

1. You are commanded to help others.

“Share each other’s burdens, and in this way obey the law of Christ.” Galatians 6:2

If you are so focused on your own problems it is not likely you will share in someone else’s burden. The body of Christ is designed to pick up each other’s slack.

2. You are not too important to serve others.

“If you think you are too important to help someone, you are only fooling yourself. You are not that important.”Galatians 6:3

You may have a higher “position” but we all have a responsibility to serve. My pastor Kyle Walters is a good example of someone who is willing to serve.  He is at Church early almost every Sunday helping set up before he speaks!

3. Don’t worry about what others are doing, work hard!

“Pay careful attention to your own work, for then you will get the satisfaction of a job well done, and you won’t need to compare yourself to anyone else. For we are each responsible for our own conduct.” Galatians 6:4–5

We are each responsible for our own work. If you see someone else slacking off, they are not your standard. We are to work hard even if everyone around us is not.

4. You can’t fool God, you will get out what you put in.

“Don’t be misled—you cannot mock the justice of God. You will always harvest what you plant.” Galatians 6:7

You will harvest what you plant. If live to please the Spirit then you will see positive fruit. If you are giving in to your sinful nature you will get death and decay. Laziness is a symptom of the sinful nature. On the other hand, if you work hard you will be rewarded.

5. You will reap a harvest if you don’t give up.

“So 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

This verse is a great reminder not to give up. If you are not seeing fruit right now then remember that you will be rewarded with a blessing if you don’t give up.

This is a great reminder for me when the hard days of ministry come. Even if you are not seeing the fruit you want to see in your ministry, don’t give up. You will eventually reap a harvest if you don’t give up.

6. Seize opportunities to serve.

“Therefore, whenever we have the opportunity, we should do good to everyone—especially to those in the family of faith.” Galatians 6:10

We should see chances to serve as opportunities, not annoyances. I know for me sometimes I just want to relax at home or go surfing. But there are times where we need to give up what we want in order to seize opportunities to serve.

One important thing to remember here is that Jesus didn’t serve at EVERY opportunity he got. He even withdrew when the crowds were looking for him. It is not wrong to rest for the right reasons. But if we are not serving just because we are selfish then we have a problem.

Which of these principles do you want to apply to your life today?

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