"Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up." Galatians 6:9
About a week ago my husband woke up with a horrible headache. I quickly went and doled him out an ibuprofen and hoped that the combination of the pain killer and his morning beverage (Mountain Dew) would ease the pain. It wasn't too long before he was asking for another ibuprofen. An hour later, he asked for a third.
I couldn't imagine how bad his head must have been throbbing after taking so many pain killers and still no relief. After I dished out the third dose of medicine, it occurred to me that perhaps I needed to make sure the medicine was still good. Come to find out, that half empty bottle of ibuprofen expired three and a half years ago! No wonder they weren't doing him any good!
I've met some Christians that appeared to have been left on the shelf past their expiration date! They had totally lost their effectiveness for the cause of Christ. Their impact for the Kingdom of God was minimal, at best, and their influence on the lost world around them was nearly invisible.
However, what we must remember is that our shelf life is a lot longer than a gallon of milk or a bottle of medicine. The expiration date that is stamped on our lives is known by none other than God Himself. And while we have breath in our lungs and blood running through our veins, we have a responsibility to be just as effective for the cause of Christ as we expect a pain killer to be when we need to kick a headache.
Have you ever heard any of these comments? Or, have you voiced any of them yourself?
About a week ago my husband woke up with a horrible headache. I quickly went and doled him out an ibuprofen and hoped that the combination of the pain killer and his morning beverage (Mountain Dew) would ease the pain. It wasn't too long before he was asking for another ibuprofen. An hour later, he asked for a third.
I couldn't imagine how bad his head must have been throbbing after taking so many pain killers and still no relief. After I dished out the third dose of medicine, it occurred to me that perhaps I needed to make sure the medicine was still good. Come to find out, that half empty bottle of ibuprofen expired three and a half years ago! No wonder they weren't doing him any good!
I've met some Christians that appeared to have been left on the shelf past their expiration date! They had totally lost their effectiveness for the cause of Christ. Their impact for the Kingdom of God was minimal, at best, and their influence on the lost world around them was nearly invisible.
However, what we must remember is that our shelf life is a lot longer than a gallon of milk or a bottle of medicine. The expiration date that is stamped on our lives is known by none other than God Himself. And while we have breath in our lungs and blood running through our veins, we have a responsibility to be just as effective for the cause of Christ as we expect a pain killer to be when we need to kick a headache.
Have you ever heard any of these comments? Or, have you voiced any of them yourself?
- "Someone should teach those young people how to dress and act right in church. They might as well not even come if they're going to look and act like that."
- "I've raised my kids. It's someone else's turn to serve in the church nursery."
- "I would talk to someone about Jesus, but isn't that what we pay the pastor for?"
People who make comments like those have lost their effectiveness for Christ. Those comments are usually made with a straight face and an unpleasant tone of voice. They are also made by people who at one point in time were very effective for the cause of Christ. For one reason or another, they have lost their zeal and now consider serving the Lord more of a burden then a joy.
The Apostle Paul must have come in contact with some people who have uttered statements or had attitudes similar to the ones above. On more than one occasion he makes it a point to encourage the believers in various churches to not grow weary in serving the Lord. He reminds the church at Corinth to stand firm and to give themselves fully to the work of the Lord (1 Cor. 15:58). He tells the Galatians to not become weary in serving the Lord or doing the right thing (Gal. 6:9). The writer of Hebrews (who some believe to be Paul) instructs believers to persevere and run the race that God has laid out for us (Heb. 12:1).
The snarky statements above might seem trivial, so maybe we need to test our effectiveness for Christ by asking ourselves a few questions. Be honest with yourself as you look inside for the answers.
- When was the last time you felt burdened to share the Gospel of Christ with a lost person?
- When have you shared your testimony with someone who needed to hear that God is ever faithful?
- How have you used your gifts in service to God?
- How have you shared your financial resources for the advancement of His Kingdom?
- How did you respond when you felt God tugging at your heart to take a step of faith for Him (go on a mission trip, foster a child, speak out for Him when no one else was)?
We must be more effective for Christ than those expired ibuprofen were for my husband's headache. We can't give up whenever we reach a certain age or station in life. God always has a place for us to be used by Him and for Him. Imagine what the world would look like if all of the Christians in it were effectively living their life for Him. What an awesome place that would be!
As I pitched the bottle of ibuprofen in the trash, I thought about all of the aches and pains that went mistreated because my husband and I were taking useless pills. Now, think about all of those opportunities that we're given everyday to do good for the Kingdom of God. How effective will you be when God places those opportunities before you?
Comments
Post a Comment