Tues 7th July - #78. What a waste of time!
Do you ever wonder if what you do is worthwhile? Do you wonder if it matters, counts or “makes a difference”? You pour your energy into your work, you exhaust yourself by emptying your emotions into caring for your children, you spend your “spare” time in volunteering in church work or mission work, you try your hardest to help a friend… and then you wonder “Did it do anything?”
You may think that you have been useless and have failed at parenting, working, friendship and serving; and you are despondent, tired and exhausted and you feel like giving up.
Listen to this amazing verse from Isaiah 49v4: But I said, “I have laboured in vain; I have spent my strength for nothing at all.” Now that is in a messianic prophecy! That is to say this is what Jesus said! Difficult to believe isn’t it? But remember He was a human being and there must have been times when He was feeling low, dejected and tempted to give up (```He was tempted in every way, just as we are…``` Heb 4v15).
So, if you feel like giving up because you think all your toil, labour and hard work has produced absolutely nothing at all, then, actually, take heart: you are in very good company!
BUT…
Jesus went on to say in Isaiah 49v4: Yet what is due me is in the Lord’s hand, and my reward is with my God. Ah ha! He looked beyond His work, beyond the results from His work, and into the Lord’s will and knew He would have a reward for His work and would graciously receive what was due to Him. So He didn’t give up, He continued and awaited His reward from the Lord. He did His work whilst looking to God and knowing that actually everything He did counted and nothing was in vain.
And we, too, can have that assurance even though we may feel failures and useless and tired and weary, yet remember Your labour is not in vain in the Lord. (1 Corinthians 15v58)
So, where’s that nappy bag? When’s that Zoom call? Where’s that hoover? When’s that youth talk? Where’s that customer? When’s that visit? Who is needy in my team? Where’s that home-schooling exercise book? …
Love from Paul