I’ve seen it over and over again. People get discouraged. It happens for a lot of reasons, but the most common, to me, is when someone gives for a long time and then they don’t see much fruit from their efforts. It’s not unlike Tyler’s house fire. Tyler had been working for a long time renovating his house. He had completely redone the kitchen with tile, cabinets, new paint, etc. and he had closed in porch areas, knocked down walls to enlarge the living room. Then all of it went up in flames or down in soggy, fire hose mush. With good insurance, all their needs will be taken care of, their necessities supplied. A new house, new clothes – sweet deal! But that doesn’t replace the time, effort, work, all that stuff that went into the renovation. It feels like it was all a waste of precious time.
Being a church the size of ours – something like 100 members – we depend so much on volunteers. And we value relationships and mentoring. So that means that folks volunteer precious time and energy and invest it into people. They pour their lives out into people, come alongside them in their pain, pray with them for what they need, cry when they hurt, etc. I see them do it. It always makes me proud. Sometimes I feel embarrassed that they seem to do so much more than I. But I preach on that what they are doing is planting seeds of service, modeling for others Christ likeness, and that God is pleased. And he is!
And then the very people who have received all these precious gifts of time and energy move away, find new jobs, marry and leave, find greener pastures, or find more polished servants to guide them. And precious servants are left looking at me, and wondering if they are pouring their cream into containers that leak. It feels like all the work was for naught. Look, it’s discouraging. It really is. It’s not that everything they do is just right, or without fault, or even perfect timing. But pour out they do.
Part of my job is to call people into service. I’m to encourage and motivate. So when it goes sour, or if they simply get tired because no one is pouring back into them, I feel bad for calling them into something that’s hard. And they wonder if it was right, or if something’s broken. Our method has gone south. Then I remind them and myself that it’s Jesus we’re serving. They’re not pouring themselves out for me, the church, or even, ultimately, for the people they’re serving. They’re doing it for Jesus. And then they start considering different way that they could serve him that wouldn’t be so costly. (And God knows none of us wants to be serving God in a way He didn’t call us! But according to the scriptures, actually obeying Jesus’ commands will lead to difficulty and suffering, not necessarily earthly success).
Well, here’s to all you servants of Jesus who work/serve with no pay, and no thanks. Here’s to you who labor but never see the fruit, who work the fields and never eat the from the crop or drink the wine. As a matter of fact, you get criticized for how you served, ridiculed for your fruitlessness, and scolded for leaving someone out. You’re my heroes. I honor you. And I pray for you. And I leave you with a truth you must never forget:
Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.
(1Co 15:58)
I also encourage all of you to keep up the good work and the sacrificial service. Paul talked of reaping where he had not sown, and taught that some planted, some watered and others harvested. These principles teach that we will not always see the fruit of our work. We may never know the impact of our pouring out, but I know what it looks, tastes and smells like to God.
You may never see the fruit, but keep casting your bread (life!):
Cast your bread upon the waters, for you will find it after many days.
(Ecc 11:1)
Finally, regardless of where you are in your walk, there are people who have served you, poured into you, and you can look around and see people serving others in your church etc. Tell them thank you. Take some of the drudgery of their personal ministry off of them and pour some life back in, just by expressing your gratitude. Sometimes being that thankful person is a life giving ministry in itself, like you wouldn’t believe. . . . Contribute to the joy of their leadership, not its drudgery. Why would you want to make things harder for them? (Heb 13:17)
Catch a Wave 
