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Fighting Spiritual Depression: Weary in Well Doing

Bible Study Passages:

2 Peter 1:5-7; Galatians 6

From 2 Peter 1

5 And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge;

6 And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness;

7 And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity [love].

Galatians 6

1 Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted.

2 Bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ.

3 For if a man think himself to be something, when he is nothing, he deceiveth himself.

4 But let every man prove his own work, and then shall he have rejoicing in himself alone, and not in another.

5 For every man shall bear his own burden.

6 Let him that is taught in the word communicate unto him that teacheth in all good things.

7 Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.

8 For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting.

9 And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.

10 As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith.

11 Ye see how large a letter I have written unto you with mine own hand.

12 As many as desire to make a fair shew in the flesh, they constrain you to be circumcised; only lest they should suffer persecution for the cross of Christ.

13 For neither they themselves who are circumcised keep the law; but desire to have you circumcised, that they may glory in your flesh.

14 But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world.

15 For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision, but a new creature.

16 And as many as walk according to this rule, peace be on them, and mercy, and upon the Israel of God.

17 From henceforth let no man trouble me: for I bear in my body the marks of the Lord Jesus.

18 Brethren, the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. Amen

This Lesson:

Weary in

Well Doing

Q1 What righteous people in our Bibles suddenly discovered themselves in sin, and were able to do something about it?

Q2 2 Peter 1:5-7 lists consecutive steps in Christian growth. What are they?

Q3 Great attention is spent on young people today; some would say churches also are well-equipped to meet the spiritual needs of senior saints.

What would keep someone in the middle period of life (ages 30-55) from being as active in church and growing their faith as possible?

Q4 Somewhere along the way, some people reach a stage when they don’t seem to be learning new things from the Bible or God. They’ve been accustomed to living the Christian life. The thrill seems to be gone, and nothing seems to be happening. What makes people want to quit trying so hard?

Q5 Can you think of an example from the Bible of someone who was refreshed and renewed to keep up the work?

How can the phases of life correspond to phases of a believer’s life of faith?

Q6 Galatians 6 gives some insight to general feelings of malaise. What types of things was Paul writing about in the first 8 verses of the chapter?

What types of things did he discuss?

Q7 What did he write about in verse 10?

Q8 And, what issue seems to have been the focus of verses 12-15?

What comes from keeping close to the cross (v. 16)?

How did Paul show his sincerity (v. 17)? And others, their insincerity?

Q9 Paul told the Corinthians to be “steadfast, unmovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord” after talking to them about their future in heaven. How can being heavenly minded affect our actions today?

The Point of this Study

One of the most common symptoms of spiritual depression is that “blah” feeling about life in general, and spiritual life in particular. There are seasons of life when we get tired, and need to take a break. Times of refreshing can be just what the doctor ordered in those times.

Three dangers when tired (physically):

1. The danger of giving up when tired.

2. The danger of giving up when others are giving up.

3. The danger of resorting to artificial stimulants when weary.

Tonight we’re not really looking at times when we need a break. We’re talking about times we begin to wonder why we’re doing what we’re doing for God. After starting the Christian walk, and learning the basics, we may begin to feel that we’ve seen it all. We think we’ve learned it all. We don’t encounter the “fireworks of faith,” and can begin to feel that our time would be better spent on a hobby, with family, at work, or anywhere other than at church or doing God’s wishes. I believe this is the thinking Paul is writing about when he challenges the Galatians not to become weary in well doing.

What can we do?

1. Begin with self-examination. Ask yourself, why are you weary?

2. Ask yourself, why you have been doing this work and what has been your motive?

3. Wonder, what has kept you going? Instead of seeing it as God’s work, has just doing it been the “mainspring” of your life to keep you active when you had nothing else to do?

A preacher may say, “Another Sunday, and I have to preach twice today.” What a terrible thing to say. But the answer is to put it all into its great context and to say, “We are going on to eternity and this is but the preparatory school.” Keep on, says Paul, with your well doing, because of the certainty of the harvest that is coming. Often, the world is too much with us; we are too preoccupied with our problems.

Consider the Master we work for, One who endured and was patient unto the end. He resisted unto blood (Hebrews 12:4). His life was pretty humdrum most of the time, spent with ordinary people who misunderstood Him. But He went on steadfast and did not complain. Why? “For the joy that was set before Him he endured the cross, despising the shame” (Hebrews 12:2 ). He knew the crowning day was coming. He kept on the path. We too should do the same. One day we too will step on a new shore, and find it heaven.