Galatians 6:9—“Let Us Not Grow Weary of Doing Good”

“Let us not give up in doing what is fine, for in due time we will reap if we do not tire out.”—Galatians 6:9, New World Translation.

“Let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up.”—Galatians 6:9, English Standard Version.

Meaning of Galatians 6:9

The apostle Paul encourages Christians to persist in doing what is fine, or good, from God’s standpoint. If they do so, they can be confident that God will reward them.

“Let us not give up.” This phrase can be rendered “let us not grow weary.” The original-language term may also convey the idea of not getting discouraged or losing enthusiasm. By including himself in these words, the apostle Paul admitted that he too faced times when he had to fight discouragement.—Romans 7:21-24.

“What is fine,” or good, encompasses all the things a Christian should do in service to God. This includes works that a person does for the well-being of fellow believers and others.—Galatians 6:10.

“In due time we will reap if we do not tire out.” Paul reminds his readers that it may take time before they see the benefits of doing good, just as it takes time for a farmer’s crop to grow. By referring to reaping, Paul links this verse with the fundamental truth stated in verse 7: “Whatever a person is sowing, this he will also reap.” In other words, when a Christian does what is good in God’s eyes, he will reap a large reward, including everlasting life.—Romans 2:6, 7; Galatians 6:8.

Context of Galatians 6:9

The apostle Paul wrote this letter to the Christians living in Galatia in about 50-52 C.E. He did so to counteract the influence of individuals who claimed to be Christians but instead were distorting the truth about Jesus. (Galatians 1:6, 7) These false teachers were arguing that Christians needed to obey the Law that God gave to the ancient nation of Israel through Moses. (Galatians 2:15, 16) Paul explained that the Law had served its purpose and was no longer binding on God’s worshippers.—Romans 10:4; Galatians 3:23-25.

When Paul encouraged fellow Christians to keep on “doing what is fine,” he was not referring to obeying the Mosaic Law. Rather, he was encouraging them to “fulfill the law of the Christ,” which includes everything that Jesus taught about doing good to others.—Galatians 6:2; Matthew 7:12; John 13:34.

Watch this short video to see an overview of the book of Galatians.