Jump Start # 1635

Galatians 4:11 “I fear for you, that perhaps I have labored over you in vain.”

  I recently had a short discussion with an amazing Christian. She could write a book about the things she has been through. Her journeys would have stopped many of us. She has powerful faith and is an amazing example to me. But she doesn’t see herself this way. She is not alone. Many wonder if we are doing enough.  Many feel, especially looking to the past, that we have let the Lord down. The standard of the Gospel seems so high and it seems that we fall short of it most times. Sure we believe. Sure we love the Lord. We worship regularly but deep inside we wonder if we are doing enough.

Our verse today brings up a word that Solomon loved to use in Ecclesiastes, “Vain” or vanity. It means empty. Paul’s use of this word was based upon what the Galatians were doing. They were trying to keep one foot in the Old Testament law and were missing the benefits of being in Christ. It seemed that Paul’s work didn’t work. It seemed that it was a waste of time. As Paul put it, “I have labored over you in vain.”

What Paul expressed is a common feeling that preachers and leaders in God’s kingdom feel. I struggle with this. Am I doing any good? We can be so busy with this and that, doing all kinds of projects, starting new things, but is it making any difference in the lives of people? At the end of the day, is it doing any good? A preacher works hard on a lesson. Two weeks later, a guy who the preacher remembers sitting through that sermon, asks him to preach what he just did. Am I doing any good? Is anyone listening? We look at the congregation and the choices that some make and we wonder, am I doing any good? Another class. Another sermon. Yet, the people seem to struggle with the same things over and over. That feeling leads to discouragement. It makes the preacher question whether it’s time to move on. Being effective is important, whether one leads the congregation or one is teaching and preaching.

Have I labored over you in vain? Am I doing any good? Am I doing enough? The humble servant beats himself up asking those questions. The soul is searched. What am I missing? What am I not doing? What am I not doing right? Why aren’t people excelling in the Lord? Why does it seem that some are stuck in status quo? Why can’t I change them with the Gospel? Why can’t they see what I see? I know this feeling all too well. I know those questions. Have I labored over you in vain? Has it all been a waste of time? I’ve gone to bed with those thoughts. I have thought maybe it’s time to hang it up. If you are not doing any good, it’s time to quit. Perhaps I have labored over you in vain?

Here are some thoughts that might help:

First, the next day seems to help. At night it seems the darkness brings dark thoughts. The sun of the next morning has a way of reminding you that God is not finished with you. A new day. A new gift from the Lord. A new opportunity. A new chance. Get through the night, the morning will help.

Second, when one is feeling down, they tend to only see negative things. Problems seem larger. Mistakes seem like mountains. We don’t see the good. We fail to see the right things. There are lives that have been touched. There have been people who have been encouraged. Certainly we can always do more, but look at what has been done. We forget that. We forget the sweet children that we raised. We forget seeing people taking notes of a sermon or Bible class. We forget the “thank you’s” for what we’ve done. Count your blessings. You have helped. Even the cup of cold water that was given is noticed by Heaven. There are droplets of blessings that have come from our hands and hearts that we have forgotten about or that we have discounted as not being much. But they are there.

Third, we are not the only ones who feel this way. Our Galatian verse tells us that Paul felt that way. Jesus actually had people walk away from Him. Are we to assume that Jesus didn’t do enough? Are we to think that Jesus should have done more? We want every life to change. We want every person in that audience to leave stronger, more motivated and more committed to Christ. But it won’t happen. Some will remain unchanged. Some will go to church for years and you’d never know it. They never make the connection between Sunday and the rest of the week. Some will keep one foot in the world until the day they die. This bugs us and bothers us. This makes us rethink what we are teaching and how we are teaching. This will drive us to try this and then that, all in an attempt to get that foot out of the world and into Christ. We will sweat blood and cry tears but with some that foot will remain right where it is. The reality is that we will not save everyone. We will not encourage everyone. We will not make a difference in every life. We want to, but some will not invite us in.

Fourth, deep inside we know that we are doing what is right. We know we are doing what the Lord wants us to do. Paul didn’t quit after he wrote Galatians. He didn’t say, “I give up. They don’t care. They aren’t trying. Nothing I do works, so I’m done.” No, he stayed with it. He finished the course. He kept the faith. He preached until there was no more breath in him. What he was doing was right. The Lord never let him down. This compels us to keep going. There are those who are changing. There are those who are becoming. There are those who are benefitting from what is being done. Even at dead Sardis, there were a few that were walking with the Lord.

Fifth, we must stop comparing ourselves to others. We know Paul said not to do that, but we do. We look at other families and see what they are doing and we feel guilty. We hear what other preachers are doing and we feel worthless. We feel like failures because we cannot keep up with these people. We don’t think up ideas like they do. I know a preacher who once told me that he had 25 Bible studies that week. I didn’t have 25 studies the entire month. Boy that put me in the dumps. What a failure I felt like. It took a long time to get out of that hole. I learned that was his gift. He was natural at that. Some are good at planting and others at watering. I find that I am now doing this innocently to other preachers. They read these Jump Starts and declare, “How do you do this every day?” I now realize that some are saying that with guilt. They look at this and feel that they should be doing the same. NO. Don’t feel that way. God has blessed me with this wonderful gift. You have a gift. It’s different than mine. Remember the Corinthian passage about spiritual gifts where Paul talked about some being a hand, others a foot, and others eyes. We are not the same, nor do we do the same. I write. Others can hold 25 Bible studies a week. Others connect well with young people. Others are amazing in the pulpit. Others have great insight into the Scriptures. Others can make you feel so loved and welcomed. Others can paint a picture of Heaven so real that you can just hold out your hand and touch it. Some families are great at hospitality. Others don’t do so well there, yet they can do other things. We must stop comparing ourselves and using others as the measure of what we ought to be doing. It will only make you feel more guilty and more like a spiritual failure. Find what you are good at and shine. Life’s experiences affect us. Those with little kids at home, need to raise those babies. They don’t have the time nor the resources as empty nesters. Those that have demanding jobs can’t do what retired folks can. Stop comparing. Look within and then look around. Do what you can. The rich man in Luke 16 lost his soul simply because he had opportunity and the means to help poor Lazarus but he did nothing. Nothing is death. Nothing is always wrong. You can do something. Don’t do what I am doing. Don’t do what someone else is doing. Do what you can with what you have. You cannot do it all, but you can make a difference.

Finally, when we feel like we are not doing enough, realize that we are not saved by the amount of what we do. Balance theology makes us believe that the good in our lives must outweigh the bad that we have done. This is salvation by works. It never works. We are saved by the grace of God. Our faith and love for the Lord is what matters. You cannot do enough. You cannot be good enough. You will never deserve Heaven. Those thoughts trouble us. It is a gift. It is a gift that you shouldn’t get, but God gives it. So, you can’t do anything to make God love you more. He loves you the most right now.

However, when you see areas that you can be doing more, do what you can. Step it up. Take on new challenges. Don’t let others determine your success. If that were the case, then Jesus failed. He said that more will be lost than saved. Jesus said this before He ever went to Calvary. Knowing that didn’t stop Jesus. He went. Do the good that you can. You may have a family over and they might not even thank you. Don’t let that stop you. You may pour hours into a class or a sermon and not see any visible changes. Don’t let that stop you. Keep doing what you can, where you can, until the Lord calls you.

Thank you for letting me share this with you. I hope it helped my friend. She’s incredible. It has helped me. Climbing out of the hole of gloom and doom is hard to do.

Onward Christian soldier…

Roger