Many days we offer our blood, sweat, and tears and wonder why. We’re putting in the effort but not yet seeing the fruit of our labors. While it’s tempting to give up or just grow cynical, we’re reminded that our efforts in faith are never wasted.
The Apostle Paul encouraged the Corinthians to remain steadfast, immoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord – remembering that their labor in the Lord was not in vain. As if simply staying grounded was not enough, he tells them not to move from their post. And if this still wasn’t enough, he then tells them to never quit in their work. They are to do this because somehow their work has meaning in God’s larger story.
There’s no hint in Paul’s words of passively waiting on God to act. We are to continue doing work we’ve been called to do wholeheartedly and without wavering. And yet his need to say in three different ways to keep going shows us the depth of the encouragement we need.
It’s easy to give up when our wife and kids seem indifferent to our influence, when unwanted thoughts and habits linger, and when our best efforts at work seem only to lead to more disappointments and fear.
Of course, wisdom is needed and there are times in which we need to pivot our approach. But, as we live by faith, this is not something we do just because our path is difficult. We trust God sees us and that our faithfulness matters even when we don’t immediately see how everything is working together.
Don’t quit when the field you’ve been given to plow is hard and difficult. You are planting seeds with eternal glory even if you cannot see it yet. Your labor is not in vain.
Photo by Fırat KIZTANRI
