“Everything in me wants to quit right now,” she said.
“You can’t. Not- an- option. That would be flushing all your hard work, and turning your back on the gift God gave you.”
“Suddenly I question everything, especially my abilities as a writer, and I just want to turn and run the other way…”
“You think you have battles now? Remember, there is no armor in the back, so if you turn tail you are more exposed than ever to the enemy. Regret is a miserable bedfellow. It’s harder in the end to go in the opposite direction God’s headed, which is forward.”
And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart. Galatians 6:9 (NKJV)
Trending
My friend complained that certain media is just propaganda.
“(They) set algorithm to trend only hate and propaganda. The Gospel or anything positive never trends,” she said. “If you watch trending lines, you can tell it’s being manipulated. It’s so negative. We Christians, or positives thoughts, are being pushed off.”
There’s a lot of bad in the media, and in the world. And it’s all pretty trendy. I can pay attention to that and let it discourage, distract and derail me, or I can seize the opportunity to promote good and encourage others.
The Gospel has never been trendy, but it still gets its work done— one by one. Jesus only had 12 apostles and not nearly as many followers as Rome, or the Pharisees and Sadducees, the religious leaders of the day. And even Jesus’ few followers deserted Him for a time, but that didn’t stop the Gospel.
Your worth is in Christ, not in others. Even if men revered you- what is that compared to the King of Kings and Lord of Lords calling you His own and loving you?
Never mind what others are doing. Focus on what God is doing and what He has for you to do.
Obviously, I’m not trying to win the approval of people, but of God. If pleasing people were my goal, I would not be Christ’s servant. Galatians 1:10 (NLT)
The Sound of Crickets
“…I know my writing is amateur. I know all these things, but it’s still frustrating putting words out into the world to the sound of crickets….” she said.
If God has called you to a task shouldn’t you get to it?
The only real failure is quitting when we are called to carry on. All else is just the learning on the road to success.
“Lord, You are life giving Living Water. Encourage Your weary word warriors. Refresh our world worn souls.”
Therefore, since we have this ministry, as we have received mercy, we do not lose heart. II Corinthians 4:1 (NKJV)
I believe God created us with the desire to be a part of something greater than ourselves, to do something that matters. Fulfillment is found in Jesus, and purpose, when we follow Him and find our calling and use our talents to glorify Him and serve others.
I am called to scatter the seed of the Gospel through His Word and the words God gives me, to lift up Jesus’ name and honor Him. I write for the one and The One. I let God decide what to do with it. The good shepherd leaves the 99 to rescue the one lost sheep. So, even if my words only impact a few, what matters is that I obey God by sharing His truth from the platform He gives me. It’s worth it for the one who hears and follows Jesus. You are one. I am one.
And if my words impact many, I must remember it is:
“Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,” Says the Lord of hosts. Zechariah 4:6 NKJV
So then neither he who plants is anything, nor he who waters, but God who gives the increase. I Corinthians 3:7 (NKJV)
Small Potatoes
A friend recently referred to her writer website as “small potatoes.” Let me tell you a story.
Dwight was only four years old when his father died, leaving his mother to raise his family of nine children on their farm in Northfield, MA. His formal education ended in fifth grade. He moved to Boston at 17 years old where his uncle hired him to work in his shoe store, under the condition he attend services at Mt. Vernon Congregational Church. On April 21st, 1855 his Sunday School teacher, Edward Kimball, took the time to pay a visit to and share the Gospel with the young shoe salesman. Dwight L Moody accepted Jesus as his savior and became one of the leading evangelists of his time. He also founded the Moody Church, Northfield Mount Hermon School, the Moody Bible Institute, and Moody Publishers.
Look at the chain reaction of influence and conversions of men who became preachers:
Edward Kimball, volunteer Sunday School teacher ⇨
D.L. Moody- “I am only one, but I am one. I cannot do everything, but I can do. And that which I can do, by the grace of God, I will do.” ⇨
F.B Meyer- “Let us, therefore, not live in the summer‑house of emotion, but in the central citadel of the will, wholly yielded and devoted to the will of God.” ⇨
Wilbur Chapman- “Anything that dims my vision for Christ, or takes away or cramps me in my prayer life, or makes Christian work difficult, is wrong for me; and I must, as a Christian turn away from it.”⇨
Billy Sunday- “Stopping at Third adds no more to the score than striking out. It doesn’t matter how well you start if you fail to finish.” ⇨
Mordecai Ham- “When’s the last time you asked God for something that was beyond your ability?” ⇨
Billy Graham- has preached to more people than anyone else in history.
And it all goes back to a volunteer Sunday School teacher who took time to share the Gospel with one.
Every soul impacted by each of these preachers and each of their converts is the fruit of Mr Kimball’s decision to minister to one. I wonder who led Mr. Kimball to Christ?
We are tools and seeds in the Master Gardener’s hands. Jesus is the sun shine and the rain that makes the seed grow and bear fruit. I must use what I have for God and leave the results up to Him. That’s enough to keep me busy and blessed till He takes me home.
“Mountaintops are for views and inspiration, but fruit is grown in the valleys.” – Billy Graham
“When we come to the end of ourselves, we come to the beginning of God.”- Billy Graham
Remember, it’s by grace.
His grace will take you from the place called, “small potatoes,” to the plans He has for you.
Jesus said to them, “My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me, and to finish His work. John 4:34 (NKJV)
RESOURCES
D.L. Moody
https://www.moody.edu/about/our-bold-legacy/d-l-moody/
Biography: The Life of Dwight L. Moody, by his son, William R. Moody
D. L. Moody books
F.B Meyer Books
Wilbur Chapman books
Billy Sunday
http://www.billysunday.org/
Billy Sunday books
The Day Billy Graham Found Christ
https://billygraham.org/
Jesus Saves and Ordinary Farm Boy (Billy Graham’s conversion story)
Just As I Am: The Autobiography of Billy Graham
Billy Graham books
*Update on My Daughter, Abby’s Mission Trip Here:
A. M. Views, Kathmandu, Nepal -Abby Colby
**Please Note: I made necessary revisions to my prior post entitled, Happy Birthday America. If you read it beforehand, please take a moment to read the revised version.
© 2017 Rachael M Colby Tattoo It On Your Heart
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