“Yet those who wait for the Lord will gain new strength; They will mount up with wings like eagles, they will run and not get tired, they will walk and not become weary.” Isaiah 40:31
One of the most challenging aspects of serving in ministry is the feeling of ineffectiveness. It often occurs when pastors and teachers pour their hearts into a message that seemingly fails to resonate with the people. It can happen to any Christian who eagerly shares the gospel only to have one person after another turn down the opportunity to accept Jesus as their Savior and Lord. These reoccurring disappointments often cause people to doubt themselves and question their calling. For some, the disappointments become so great that pastors leave the ministry, and Christians stop sharing the gospel.
However, we can often fail to keep in perspective that we play a small role in God’s greater work in the world. The actual work in a person’s heart is not the message a preacher, teacher, or layperson shares with others. Instead, the Holy Spirit is the real worker who carries the entire load to stir a person’s heart and bring about a genuine conviction. Our job, as ministers of God’s word, is to scatter its good seeds. It fits hand and glove with the parable Jesus shared about the sower who spread his seeds upon the sand, the rocks, and good soil.
The seeds scattered upon the sand and rocks perished while the seed that landed on the good ground flourished, and it was God who provided the increase. We need to keep in mind that the same applies to scattering the seeds of God’s word. Some seeds fall upon the shifting sands of a person’s heart or the hardened hearts of others. That seed perishes, but the seeds of God’s word that falls upon the tender hearts of other people flourish because God, through the work of the Holy Spirit, provides the increase.
Still, we can often be our worse critics, but when that occurs, we need to realize that we need to take our focus off of ourselves and our human weaknesses. Instead, we need to redirect and lock our focus on God and His strength. Therefore, in those times when we feel ineffective in ministry when sharing the gospel or preaching or teaching God’s word, we must remember to wait for the Lord, for when we wait upon the Lord, we will find new strength, we will mount up with wings like eagles.
Blessings.
** Please take our brief five-question survey. Click Here
Follow Us
A Faithful Sower Publishing is a limited liability company that is dedicated to sharing the good news of Jesus Christ and help guide people into a relationship with God and grow in that relationship. The publisher, editors, and authors achieve that end through prayer and the careful exposition of the Bible to best explain and illustrate Scripture in a meaningful engaging way so others can apply its truths to their everyday life. The mission of the the A Faithful Sower ministry team is to carry out the Great Commission issued to all who choose to follow Jesus Christ as their Savior and Lord. Jesus commands us to “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation” (Mark 16:15).
Sign up to follow A Faithful Sower Publishing by email and receive notifications when new content posts to our site. To sign up, review our Privacy Policy and click the ”Subscribe” button below.
A Faithful Sower 