Jump Start # 3520

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

The words of the apostle in our verse today are the very things that are often wondered by many today. The Galatians were not strong in their faith. They were struggling and many failing. The letter opens with Paul’s amazement that so many had already deserted for a twisted and false form of the Gospel. Paul had preached, worked hard and taught and taught them. But it didn’t stick with many of them. And, when that happens, the honest heart begins to wonder, “Is it me?” “Was it the way I taught?” “Could I have done something differently?” “ Has all of this been a waste of time?”

This is not solely a religious dilemma. School teaches face this. Is anyone paying attention? Am I making any difference? Parents often face this. Is anyone listening? Am I getting through to them?

• Phillips words this as: you stagger me, you make me wonder if all my efforts over you have been wasted
• CEB: I’m afraid for you! Perhaps my hard work for you has been for nothing.
• Peterson: I am afraid that all my hard work among you has gone up in a puff of smoke!

Feeling like you are wasting your time quickly drains the energy out of the heart of the one teaching. Blank stares. No one following along. Questions asked that were answered in the last class. Have I labored over you in vain?

It is that feeling that makes a preacher begin to wonder if it’s time to move on. Maybe someone else would be more effective. Maybe a fresh and different voice would help the people. Not connecting, not making a difference is the tell-tell sign for most preachers to hit the road and move out of Dodge. I have felt that way. Most preachers have. Another sermon. Another class. Another article. And, one wonders, is it doing any good? Am I wasting time?

Here are a few thoughts:

First, teaching God’s word, whether in the home or the church building is never a waste of time. There comes a responsibility upon the student to take the initiative and come with a heart to learn. Bored people are just that, bored people. Some want to be done with “church” as fast as they can so they can go on and do what they want to do. Such an attitude and such a spirit wearies the Lord and the righteous. It’s that same attitude that will fail to grow, bear fruit for the kingdom and struggle with the same questions over and over.

Keep teaching, preacher. Keep explaining Mom and Dad. Your hope is that one day those lessons will sink deep into their little hearts and it will make a difference. The alternative is to throw up your hands and give up. And, then who will teach?

Second, keep learning how to teach. Maybe your methods are stale. Maybe your questions are so obvious that they do not challenge. Maybe you need a fresh coat of paint on the way you teach. Look at others. Learn from others. Try different methods. As you grow more, you’ll find different ways to connect better with the ones you are trying to teach.

Third, it helps giving some feed back to the teacher. An honest question. A “thank you.” A “I hadn’t thought about that before.” Taking notes. Telling the teacher, “I really like this class.” Sharing what you learned with others. All of that is helpful. When mama cooks dinner, she likes to hear once in a while, “Thank you,” or, “I really like that.” Feedback is important. So many places that we do business with these days, will send email surveys wanting to know how they did. They are looking for feedback.

And, when the last Amen is said, and the conversations quickly turn to the ballgame, the teacher wonders, “Have I labored in vain?” “Did anything stick?” But to see people still sitting in the pew, with Bibles opened and talking to one another, what a rich and rewarding picture that is.

The Galatian problem wasn’t the teacher. It wasn’t the subject being taught. It was the hearts and shallow faith of the Galatian people. Was Paul’s efforts a waste of time? Today we have that letter to the Galatians in our Bibles. It is that letter that warns of the works of the flesh. It is that letter that details the fruit of the Spirit. It is that letter that shows that we are all one in Christ. Thousands of years later, the efforts of that lone apostle is still touching hearts, teaching souls and making a difference in our lives.

And, in a much smaller scale, the same is true among our efforts. I have run into people decades after I have preached a lesson and they will show me a notecard that they kept in their Bible, or quote some statement that I have long forgotten, but they never did. The same impact is true in parenting. My mom has been gone for more than twenty-five years, but even today, there are things she said, that I remember. She may have and probably did wonder if anything she said got through my thick head, but it did and I remember.

So, mom and dad, Bible class teacher, preacher, keep plugging away. Stay at it. Don’t give up. You may plant seeds today that you will never see grow, but in time, those little seeds can produce mighty oaks.

It’s never a waste of time to teach God’s word. To answer Paul’s question, “Have I labored in vain,” NO. No you haven’t. What you did is still making a difference today!

Roger

Jump Start # 2224

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

Our verse today comes from Paul wondering how useful he had been. The Galatians seemed to be moving backwards and not forwards. The influence of Jewish teachers had the Galatians reconsidering parts of the law of Moses. Some were reaching back for it and in so doing, they were abandoning what Paul had taught them. His work among them seemed to be in vain.

The word “vain” means useless or worthless. It’s a key word in Ecclesiastes. It’s also a key thought among us. We often measure the worth of what we do by the results. If the numbers are up, we feel satisfied and good about things. In terms of our efforts in a church, the measuring rod is often the Sunday attendance and the number of baptisms within a year. As long as both of those numbers are rising, the preacher feels confident that he is doing a good job and everyone is happy. Attendance numbers at worship and baptism rates are never mentioned among the seven churches in Revelation. Paul’s concern with the Galatians wasn’t about attendance or how many were being baptized. He was concerned about the spiritual growth and stability among the Galatian churches. The measuring rod of success was whether or not they were remaining true to the Gospel message.

Vain, a waste of time, we can feel that way when it’s not really true. Where I live, there is a massive woods behind me. I don’t own it, but I certainly enjoy it. Family and friends sit out on our back deck and admire the beauty. In the fall, especially this one, the trees were full of orange, yellow and reds. It was brilliant. We have all kinds of trees back there, and most of them are very large. When sitting out there with friends, we always talk about how beautiful it is. I remind our friends that every leaf that they see, comes down in the fall, and most times, it’s in my backyard. My yard was full of leaves the other day. I have a leaf blower that seems to have a jet engine on it. It can blow leaves to Iowa. I blow leaves then I get out my mower and mulch the rest. Last week I spent several hours working on the leaves. The yard was beautiful. I sat on the deck admiring how great it all looked. The next morning when I looked out, you couldn’t tell that I had even touched the yard. So many more leaves fell. A day later, I was back at it again, blowing leaves and mowing leaves. This will continue until they all finally come down. Now, are my efforts in vain? Is it a waste of time? Some neighbors never touch their yard. Leaves stack up everywhere.

This is the concept of questioning the good that is being done. Parents can feel this way. Over and over they teach the same lessons. They wonder if they are doing any good. A child gets in trouble at school and the disappointed parent wonders if all that they do is in vain. The preacher can feel this way. He works up lessons for classes and sermons and preaches his heart out. A month later someone asks him why he doesn’t preach on a specific topic. The preacher thinks, “I just did. You were there. Am I wasting my time?”

Wasting time. We understand this in our fast paced society. We hate sitting in traffic. The main reason, “it’s a waste of time.” We hate long lines in restaurants. When you give them your name and they hand you one of those electronic buzzers and say, “It’ll be about one hour,” we sigh and think about leaving for some other place. We hate waiting in the doctor’s office. We hate waiting in the check out line at stores. All of these come down to we feel it’s a waste of time. As a busy parent, when you ask your teen what’s he doing, and his answer is “nothing,” that drives you crazy. You’d love to have a few moments to do nothing. You are too busy to do nothing. There’s too much to be done. Nothing isn’t in your schedule. From the moment you are up until the moment you go to bed, you haven’t found nothing. There’s always something. There is always something to be done. And, the challenge before us is which something must be done. There’s too many to get done in one day.

We must remind ourselves that some of the best things spiritually cannot be measured by accomplishments. They are not in vain if they strengthen us, encourage us, and help us connect. For instance:

Having a meaningful conversation with someone is never a waste of time. Lowering the nets, talking seriously about life, choices, Jesus, hope are all great things. Sometimes these conversations take time. Some things move slowly. But refreshing a soul, building faith, reconnecting someone to the Lord, is never a waste of time.

Worship is never a waste of time. There may be days when others who are leading the worship are not having a great day. The songs may drag. The sermon may be shallow. The prayers may seen stale. However you are among the people of God and in the presence of the Lord. You get to let your heart praise the Lord. You put out of your mind, even for just a few moments, all the crazy things of this world and all the demands of your time. For a moment, it’s you and the Lord. Always good. Never a waste of time.

Spending time with your kids is never a waste of time, and that’s true no matter how old they are or you are. Heading into the holiday season, we think about buying gifts which is fun. However, what the little ones would like more than anything else, is for you to sit on the floor with them and play. They will forget about the toys within a month, but they will remember the times you played. And, when you have a parent that has passed on to the other side, you’d love just to have another day to sit and talk with them. What’s missing in our days is family time. Family games. Family meals. Family devotions. The big ones making time for the little ones. Never a waste of time, in fact, these are the very things that make precious memories. I find it more satisfying these days to help my little grandkids pick up acorns in my back yard than it is to hit a golf ball. Wasting time? Never.

Helping someone is never a waste of time. Now, this one is probably the hardest in our list. You help someone and there are some who never even pause to thank you. Remember the story of the ten lepers that Jesus healed? Only one, the Samaritan, returned to thank the Lord. Jesus wondered about the others. I’m certain they were thankful. They got what they asked for, mercy from Jesus. However, they never said it to Jesus. The Lord, in His power, could have returned the leprosy upon the nine for not thanking Him. But He didn’t. He’s not like that. Jesus went about doing good. You help someone in the store. You help a co-worker. You give someone a few dollars. You chip in to buy a gift for someone. You take some food to someone. You stop by the hospital. You take time to go to the funeral. You do these things because this is right and you’d want folks to do it for you. Because they never thanked you, was it a waste of time? Never. Helping someone isn’t based upon what we receive from it. It’s a matter of the good that we can do.

Finally, it’s never a waste of time to talk to the Lord. The apostles in Acts 6 called upon the church to find seven men to serve the tables because they needed to devote their time to prayer and preaching. Praying. It’s good for us. It honors God. It’s never a waste of time.

What is a waste of time or vain or useless, is when we have wonderful opportunities before us and we don’t take advantage of them. Opportunities to grow, but we don’t. Opportunities to shine, but we don’t. Opportunities to connect, and we don’t. Now, that’s wasted time.

Am I wasting my time? Not if I’m doing good and godly things. Never!

Roger

Jump Start # 1635

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

  I recently had a short discussion with an amazing Christian. She could write a book about the things she has been through. Her journeys would have stopped many of us. She has powerful faith and is an amazing example to me. But she doesn’t see herself this way. She is not alone. Many wonder if we are doing enough.  Many feel, especially looking to the past, that we have let the Lord down. The standard of the Gospel seems so high and it seems that we fall short of it most times. Sure we believe. Sure we love the Lord. We worship regularly but deep inside we wonder if we are doing enough.

Our verse today brings up a word that Solomon loved to use in Ecclesiastes, “Vain” or vanity. It means empty. Paul’s use of this word was based upon what the Galatians were doing. They were trying to keep one foot in the Old Testament law and were missing the benefits of being in Christ. It seemed that Paul’s work didn’t work. It seemed that it was a waste of time. As Paul put it, “I have labored over you in vain.”

What Paul expressed is a common feeling that preachers and leaders in God’s kingdom feel. I struggle with this. Am I doing any good? We can be so busy with this and that, doing all kinds of projects, starting new things, but is it making any difference in the lives of people? At the end of the day, is it doing any good? A preacher works hard on a lesson. Two weeks later, a guy who the preacher remembers sitting through that sermon, asks him to preach what he just did. Am I doing any good? Is anyone listening? We look at the congregation and the choices that some make and we wonder, am I doing any good? Another class. Another sermon. Yet, the people seem to struggle with the same things over and over. That feeling leads to discouragement. It makes the preacher question whether it’s time to move on. Being effective is important, whether one leads the congregation or one is teaching and preaching.

Have I labored over you in vain? Am I doing any good? Am I doing enough? The humble servant beats himself up asking those questions. The soul is searched. What am I missing? What am I not doing? What am I not doing right? Why aren’t people excelling in the Lord? Why does it seem that some are stuck in status quo? Why can’t I change them with the Gospel? Why can’t they see what I see? I know this feeling all too well. I know those questions. Have I labored over you in vain? Has it all been a waste of time? I’ve gone to bed with those thoughts. I have thought maybe it’s time to hang it up. If you are not doing any good, it’s time to quit. Perhaps I have labored over you in vain?

Here are some thoughts that might help:

First, the next day seems to help. At night it seems the darkness brings dark thoughts. The sun of the next morning has a way of reminding you that God is not finished with you. A new day. A new gift from the Lord. A new opportunity. A new chance. Get through the night, the morning will help.

Second, when one is feeling down, they tend to only see negative things. Problems seem larger. Mistakes seem like mountains. We don’t see the good. We fail to see the right things. There are lives that have been touched. There have been people who have been encouraged. Certainly we can always do more, but look at what has been done. We forget that. We forget the sweet children that we raised. We forget seeing people taking notes of a sermon or Bible class. We forget the “thank you’s” for what we’ve done. Count your blessings. You have helped. Even the cup of cold water that was given is noticed by Heaven. There are droplets of blessings that have come from our hands and hearts that we have forgotten about or that we have discounted as not being much. But they are there.

Third, we are not the only ones who feel this way. Our Galatian verse tells us that Paul felt that way. Jesus actually had people walk away from Him. Are we to assume that Jesus didn’t do enough? Are we to think that Jesus should have done more? We want every life to change. We want every person in that audience to leave stronger, more motivated and more committed to Christ. But it won’t happen. Some will remain unchanged. Some will go to church for years and you’d never know it. They never make the connection between Sunday and the rest of the week. Some will keep one foot in the world until the day they die. This bugs us and bothers us. This makes us rethink what we are teaching and how we are teaching. This will drive us to try this and then that, all in an attempt to get that foot out of the world and into Christ. We will sweat blood and cry tears but with some that foot will remain right where it is. The reality is that we will not save everyone. We will not encourage everyone. We will not make a difference in every life. We want to, but some will not invite us in.

Fourth, deep inside we know that we are doing what is right. We know we are doing what the Lord wants us to do. Paul didn’t quit after he wrote Galatians. He didn’t say, “I give up. They don’t care. They aren’t trying. Nothing I do works, so I’m done.” No, he stayed with it. He finished the course. He kept the faith. He preached until there was no more breath in him. What he was doing was right. The Lord never let him down. This compels us to keep going. There are those who are changing. There are those who are becoming. There are those who are benefitting from what is being done. Even at dead Sardis, there were a few that were walking with the Lord.

Fifth, we must stop comparing ourselves to others. We know Paul said not to do that, but we do. We look at other families and see what they are doing and we feel guilty. We hear what other preachers are doing and we feel worthless. We feel like failures because we cannot keep up with these people. We don’t think up ideas like they do. I know a preacher who once told me that he had 25 Bible studies that week. I didn’t have 25 studies the entire month. Boy that put me in the dumps. What a failure I felt like. It took a long time to get out of that hole. I learned that was his gift. He was natural at that. Some are good at planting and others at watering. I find that I am now doing this innocently to other preachers. They read these Jump Starts and declare, “How do you do this every day?” I now realize that some are saying that with guilt. They look at this and feel that they should be doing the same. NO. Don’t feel that way. God has blessed me with this wonderful gift. You have a gift. It’s different than mine. Remember the Corinthian passage about spiritual gifts where Paul talked about some being a hand, others a foot, and others eyes. We are not the same, nor do we do the same. I write. Others can hold 25 Bible studies a week. Others connect well with young people. Others are amazing in the pulpit. Others have great insight into the Scriptures. Others can make you feel so loved and welcomed. Others can paint a picture of Heaven so real that you can just hold out your hand and touch it. Some families are great at hospitality. Others don’t do so well there, yet they can do other things. We must stop comparing ourselves and using others as the measure of what we ought to be doing. It will only make you feel more guilty and more like a spiritual failure. Find what you are good at and shine. Life’s experiences affect us. Those with little kids at home, need to raise those babies. They don’t have the time nor the resources as empty nesters. Those that have demanding jobs can’t do what retired folks can. Stop comparing. Look within and then look around. Do what you can. The rich man in Luke 16 lost his soul simply because he had opportunity and the means to help poor Lazarus but he did nothing. Nothing is death. Nothing is always wrong. You can do something. Don’t do what I am doing. Don’t do what someone else is doing. Do what you can with what you have. You cannot do it all, but you can make a difference.

Finally, when we feel like we are not doing enough, realize that we are not saved by the amount of what we do. Balance theology makes us believe that the good in our lives must outweigh the bad that we have done. This is salvation by works. It never works. We are saved by the grace of God. Our faith and love for the Lord is what matters. You cannot do enough. You cannot be good enough. You will never deserve Heaven. Those thoughts trouble us. It is a gift. It is a gift that you shouldn’t get, but God gives it. So, you can’t do anything to make God love you more. He loves you the most right now.

However, when you see areas that you can be doing more, do what you can. Step it up. Take on new challenges. Don’t let others determine your success. If that were the case, then Jesus failed. He said that more will be lost than saved. Jesus said this before He ever went to Calvary. Knowing that didn’t stop Jesus. He went. Do the good that you can. You may have a family over and they might not even thank you. Don’t let that stop you. You may pour hours into a class or a sermon and not see any visible changes. Don’t let that stop you. Keep doing what you can, where you can, until the Lord calls you.

Thank you for letting me share this with you. I hope it helped my friend. She’s incredible. It has helped me. Climbing out of the hole of gloom and doom is hard to do.

Onward Christian soldier…

Roger

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

Jump Start # 393 

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

  The Galatian churches seemed to be tail spinning. Instead of progressing in the Gospel, they were confused and going backward to the Law of Moses that they left. In the first chapter Paul marvels that they are deserting Christ for another Gospel (1:6). He asks them who “bewitched you” (3:1). In the fourth chapter, Paul says, “…you who want to be under the law…” (4:21) and, “you observe days and months and seasons and year” (4:10). Then comes our verse, “I fear for you…”

  Paul says, “perhaps I have labored over you in vain.” The word “vain” means empty. It’s a favorite word of Solomon in Ecclesiastes. As Paul uses it here in Galatians, he means that his work was a waste of time.

  Have you ever felt that way? Moms do. They clean the house and get it all polished and spic and span and then the kids and often times, that includes Dad, burst home and in less than 30 minutes, it’s a mess. Dishes everywhere. Toys scattered everywhere. Clothes on the floor. It took Mom all day to clean. She sighs and feels that her work was a waste of time. It was in vain.

  A person can feel that way about their job. You might work long and hard on a project, putting many hours into it, only to see it rejected and not even used. A waste of time, it was in vain.

  Those who feel as if their work was a waste of time, feel used, unappreciated and they second guess themselves. Maybe I should have done something else instead. Maybe I ought to do something else.

  Paul wondered if his work was in vain. His work was preaching. The Galatians had received the word and started the journey as Christians. After Paul left, Jewish influences came in and stirred things up. Some were doubting. Some were abandoning. Paul felt like his work was a waste of time.

  This presents an interesting thought before us, and that is the responsibility of listeners after the sermon has been preached. Often we spend a lot of time talking about the role of the preacher, and rightly so, but little is said about the role of the listeners, especially after the lesson has been given. Even the best of preachers, and Paul would be high on that list, is not doing much good if the audience does not sense the responsibility of learning, growing and changing.

  I don’t often get to sit in the audience any more, I’m usually the one preaching. But I’ve been there. It’s easy to day dream, to let your mind go to “la-la” land, or to think about things you need to do when you get home. I know. I’ve done that. I know folks do that when I preach. You hear bits and pieces but not much else. We go home and few things change. We know. We’ve heard it before. We’re pretty good people.

  The Galatians knew. The Galatians had left the Jewish system for Christ. They knew the answers to the Jewish influences. They were being pulled that way and didn’t see where it was taking them. Poor Paul. He must have wondered what more could he have done.

  It’s not the preaching that we are talking about, it’s the gospel of Christ. Do we make it vain by not being moved, challenged and changed by it? On a Tuesday, does the Gospel of Christ affect us? It ought to. Does it make me realize that I belong to the King and I am His citizen. I am to be righteous. I am to be His light. I am His voice. I am His eyes in this world.

  Paul “feared” for the Galatians. I fear that by Tuesday we are so busy working and living that what happened on Sunday doesn’t register on our radar. I fear that we live in two worlds, the world of Sunday where God is ever before us, and the world that makes up the rest of the week, where we are not ungodly, just not God– conscious.

  I read a quote years ago that really stuck with me. It said, “Live as if one foot is already in Heaven.” The Bible says it this way, “set your mind on things above” or “seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness.” One foot already in Heaven. Almost there. What a powerful thought.

  Live for Christ every day, every moment. The decisions you make—Christ based. The choices you make—Christ based. The attitude you choose today—Christ based. The way you drive—Christ based. Your words—Christ based. Your clothing—Christ based. Your choice of TV shows to watch—Christ based.

  Live as if one foot is already in Heaven!

Roger