Jump Sart # 835

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

The words of Paul, in our verse today, are felt and wondered by many people in their own lives. Paul had worked and worked to teach the pure Gospel to the Galatians. Jewish false teachers had followed Paul and distorted and reshaped things. Many were confused. They should have known better. They knew the truth. Paul’s work wasn’t working with them. He wondered if what he had done was a waste of time. Perhaps, he thought, he labored over them in vain.

Parents can feel this way. We work and teach and guide our children and then when they are out on their own, many of them do the very opposite of what they were taught. Was all that a waste of time?

Preachers feel this way often. They work hard to teach the truth of God’s word and very little changes. Same attitudes. Same habits. Little results. Maybe it was a waste of time.

I understand this feeling. Let me share some thoughts.

• We often measure success or accomplishments by visible results. Growth, emotionally, spiritually and mentally takes time, sometimes a long time. The preacher preaches his heart out. Great sermon on Christ. No one responds. Another sermon, same results. The preacher tries different methods in his delivery. Shorter sermon. Less humor. More humor. Textual. Topical. Current events. Even borrowed sermons. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. He’s told that he is doing a great job but he begins to wonder if people are just saying that to be nice. He gets discouraged. The idea of moving crosses his mind. He even thinks about quitting. He feels that he’s not very good and the reason is that he doesn’t see visible results. He wonders if anyone is listening to what he is saying.
• We often anticipate immediate results. The teacher or preacher has thought about his topic for some time. He has studied, analyzed, read, researched, jotted down notes and worked and worked until his mind and heart are wrapped around the subject intently. He knows. The audience has not put in those hours. They are chewing on the subject. They are thinking about it. Impatience can make a person feel like he has wasted his time.

• Losing what you have can make you feel this way. This is where Paul was at with the Galatians. They were going backward, away from Christ, not moving forward towards Christ. Others had taken away the good that Paul had established. He felt that what was done was in vain. With the Galatians, as it is today, outside influences can distort and destroy the good that was done. Our kids hanging around the wrong people can move them backwards intead of forwards. A radical blog that spews half truths is all it takes for some to throw in the towel on what they once believed. Discontented friends, false information, wrong impressions is enough for some to have second thoughts. It is enough for some to quit. When that happens, it seems that everything was a waste of time.

What is the answer then to these things? We must realize that if we have taught honestly, and truthfully, that deep inside a person knows. They may go off to the wilderness, like the prodigal son did, but hopefully and prayerfully, they know and will return. Many do. Many don’t. What is right is teaching and instructing God’s word. That never changes. It is never a waste of time to teach to an honest and good heart. Some changes take place on the inside and they are hard to see. Some changes come about slowly. Attitudes and habits are hard to change. The word of God is powerful. Keep teaching. Keep teaching. Keep teaching.

I’m at a point in my life where I wonder about these things. I’ve preached hundreds of sermons. I’ve written tons of articles. I taught Bible classes for decades. Did any of that do any good? I wonder. I think about those many unknown preachers 150 years ago. Few have ever heard of them. Little if anything that they did survives today. Their work gone. Did they do any good? Was it in vain?

The answer is NO it was not in vain. Like it is said of David, in Acts 13, he served the purpose of God in his generation. That’s what we must be like. Our generation needs us. Our generation needs to be taught, shown and strengthened.

Don’t give up parents. Don’t give up preachers and teachers. Keep plugging away. God knows the good that you are trying to do.

Roger