Do you get tired of being so good all the time? Well, that’s probably a quick “no.” We all sin and fall short of the glory of God (Rom. 3:23) and perhaps more frequently than we wish. No one is good except God (Mark 10:18). So, let me rephrase. Do you ever get tired of trying to be a good Christian all the time?
Being an active member of the church comes with a lot of responsibilities. Of course, we need to strive each day to keep the statutes and commands of God. In Deuteronomy 11:1, God set the standard, telling Israel, “Therefore you shall love the Lord your God, and keep His charge, His statutes, His judgments, and His commandments always.” And in the New Testament, Jesus shows us that obedience to His commands demonstrates our love for Him, saying, “If you love Me, keep My commandments” (John 14:15). But, there is a lot more to doing good than abstaining from sin.
The Bible tells us that Christians need to spend time with each other in worship as well as our daily lives. Hebrews 10:24-25 says, “And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together…” This certainly includes Sunday worship, but also includes other learning opportunities, like Bible studies, devotionals, gospel meetings and seminars. That can add up to a lot of time in study.
Being a member of the church also requires us to be involved in charitable activities and services led by the church. Paul tells us in Galatians 6:10, “Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all, especially to those who are of the household of faith.” We have a responsibility to seek out opportunities to serve one another. This might require a significant amount of our time and resources.
With all of these responsibilities, it is easy to see how someone might become tired of being a good Christian. There is a lot to do, and sometimes we can lose sight of the blessings that come from our most important work. We may feel like we are the only ones doing everything. We can reach the point of being burnt out. But, Paul exhorts us in Galatians 6:9, saying, “And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart.” If you think of the life Paul lived, there is no comparison of our light work to his toils and sacrifice (cf. 2 Cor. 11:23-30).
If Paul didn’t accept burnout, then we can too. And, Paul gave us the secret for not growing weary. In verse 2 of Galatians 6, Paul says, “Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ…” If we are going to avoid burnout, then we rely on each other to carry the load. Get others involved!