"God is not unjust; He will not forget your work and the love you have shown Him as you have helped His people and continued to help them. We want each of you to show this same diligence to the very end, so that what you hope for may be fully realized. We do not want you to become lazy, but to imitate those who through faith and patience inherit what has been promised."
Hebrews 6:10-12
Let me preface this by saying ministry is not easy, neither is following the Will of God. Sometimes it is seemingly unrewarding and unappreciated at times. We second guess ourselves, is what I am doing even worth it? Sometimes it feels like you give, and give, and give with seemingly no return on investment (a fancy phrase I learned from some friends of mine).
Is it worth it? We are called to follow a narrow, unpopular road. We are called to love the unlovable. We are called to carry each others' burdens. We are called to be Christ-like.
This passage tells us it is, because the One who told us to do so is watching, and He will not forget what we are doing. He has a beautiful plan for our lives, and sometimes because we (imperfect creation) are working with others (imperfect creation) it can be hard. The author urges us not to lose hope, to find our rest and hope in the One who called us into our roles. That, although we cannot earn it, we can one day rest in eternity where there will be no more difficulty or pain.
But there is still work to be done: there are nations to call, hearts to help mend, burdens to help carry. This is our story, this is our calling.
Keep the faith, dear brothers and sisters in Christ. And reach out when you need a hand. We are all in this together.
Dear Heavenly Father,
Thank you for the earnest hearts I see every day. You see their hearts even better than I see them. You see their want to serve, but also their hurt from feeling unappreciated. I pray that You place that appreciation in their lives. I pray that they find their rest and their fulfillment in You and Your promise of eternal rest in Heaven.
Amen