Jump Start # 313

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

  When the apostle Paul wrote these words to the church at Galatia, he was watching them come apart and many of them desert Christ. After Paul had started a church there, Jewish influences came in and twisted things and confused many of the brethren. Some deserted the gospel that they had believed.

  Paul writes:

• I am amazed that you are so quickly deserting Him who called you by the grace of Christ, for a different gospel (1:6)
• You foolish Galatians, who has bewitched you, before whose eyes Jesus Christ was publicly portrayed as crucified? (3:1)
• How is it that you turn back again to the weak and worthless elemental things, to which you desire to be enslaved all over again (4:9)
• Tell me, you who want to be under law, do you not listen to the law? (4:21)

    Our verse today reflects the frustration of an apostle who had work long and hard only to see things start to come apart. The word “vain” means empty. It is a favorite word of Solomon in the book of Ecclesiastes where he declares, “vanity, vanity, all is vanity.” Solomon was writing about the emptiness of life. Without God, life is empty. Things do not replace God.

  As Paul uses the word vain, or empty, he is looking at the work he has done. It seems empty or worthless. We’d say, “it’s been a waste of time.”  That is a thought that many can relate to. Throughout Proverbs, advise is given not to try to rebuke a fool, argue with a fool, or trust a fool. It’s a waste of time. Even today, we can understand the thoughts racing through Paul’s head.

  Parents can feel that way. They work and teach and show and try to get their kids to do write and sometimes it’s like talking to a wall. A child moves out and chooses to do the very opposite of what he was taught. The parent in anguish feels that all of the work was a waste of time.

  Preachers and teachers can feel that way. They work hard to teach, both publicly and privately, spending time studying, preparing, carefully showing the way of God to an audience that doesn’t open their Bibles and just stares off in space. No one changes. No growth seems to take place. The teachers after a while feel that their effort has been a waste of time. It has been in vain. They get discouraged. The preachers move on to another church. The teachers quit teaching. The church is set for a path of death or error.

  We need to remember, even in what seems to be the worst environment, teaching God’s word is the right thing to do. Our job is to teach. Spread the word every where. Some of the seed will fall upon the hard soil and be wasted. But some of it will hit the good and honest heart and great things can take off from that. Don’t be discouraged. Keep teaching. Keep teaching Bible classes. Preachers keep preaching. There may be just one in that audience that you reach, and that one is worth it. The only hope for change, is through God’s word. It is the avenue to correct, connect and draw near to God.

  Think of the death of our Lord. At the cross, the apostles were scattering. The women stood at a distance. One apostle had betrayed. Another had denied. The crowds gathered at the cross were taunting and accusing Jesus. How He may have thought that His work was in vain. But here we are today, you and I. Believers. Followers. Generations later. It wasn’t wasted.

  The heart of every preacher wants to save everyone. But not everyone wants to be saved. Paul wanted all the Galatians to remain safe. Not all wanted that. So we must keep working, keep teaching, keep encouraging.

  Realize that you can be an encourager or discourager to the teachers and preachers in your life. Encourage by connecting, listening, asking questions, thinking with them and participate. Thank them for their effort. Pray for them. When they miss it, and we do sometimes, talk to them kindly and in private. Help them be better.

  Do these things, not just for the sake of others, not just so they won’t feel their work is worthless, but for the sake of your soul. These folks are trying to teach and preach. Be patient with the young preachers. Help them in kindness. Build them up. Be a friend that they can count on. Support them. They need that.

  Worthless…not really. It was to those who didn’t want to stay with Christ. They wanted out and they found a way out. Thinking only of themselves and not the work of others, not the unity of the church, not what is right, they leave. They discourage. They hurt the efforts of others. They make good people like Paul wonder if what they are doing is a waste of time. Shame on such folks.

  The rest of us needs to roll up our sleeves, get busy and do what we can. The opposite of feeling worthless or a waste of time, is feeling that it has helped you or it has changed your life. Have you ever told that to a preacher? They need to hear that. Trying to find the right message, the right words, the right way to help a congregation get stronger and closer to the Lord isn’t easy. I know, I’ve been doing this for thirty years and can often relate to what Paul said to the Galatians.

  For the record, I write these words not for my sake but for the young Kevin’s, and young Jordan’s out there who are just preaching their hearts out. They love the Lord. They are trying to help us get to Heaven. They can get discouraged. They wonder if they are wasting their time. The answer is NO. There are many young preachers all over the country who need to be thanked for what they are doing. They could make a ton more money doing other things but they have chosen to devote their lives to preaching. Bless them. Get to know them. Be that friend that kept them going. Don’t be the cause for them to think about quitting.

  Paul’s labor was not in vain. Neither is ours. The Lord notices.

Roger