Monday, April 2, 2012

April 3, 2012

"Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain." I Corinthians 15:58

A lot of serving God is done in obscurity and few ever notice. Things like those late night phone conversations you have with a widow who lost her soul mate of 53 years and hasn't adjusted to sleeping alone in a king-sized bed. Few ever know about that kindness and when you wake up after just a few hours of sleep hea off to work already exhausted, you wonder if it is worth it.

You invest scores of hours counseling your brother and sister-in-law over their marriage struggles, praying with them and crying with them and spending hundreds of dollars so they can see a professional counselor. Things look encouraging and you investment seems worth it until he calls you to let you know he is in Tahoe with his girlfriend and the marriage is over.

Heartbroken and disillusioned you complain to God wondering why you wasted all that time and money.

After pouring your time and money and literally, your life, into helping others you find yourself discouraged, frustrated and needing some support but no one calls.

"Why do I do this?" you wonder. Everyone else lives for himself why shouldn't I?

Serving God by serving the people He calls you to help is one of the most difficult things you can do. It demands a lot and returns little. You often find yourself helping someone else while you are secretly hurting.

Hardly a day passes that you fail to find yourself wondering whether or not it's worth the investment and the involvement.

The good news of Easter is that it is worth it! It matters! It all matters because Jesus arose from the dead! The resurrection makes it all matter! Nothing you have done has been done in vain! NOTHING!

You serve a Risen Savior! Because He is alive He lives in you and loves through you! That matters!