Do you ever feel like your contributions to God’s Kingdom don’t make a difference?
In a world filled with billions of people, it’s easy to feel like one person can’t make much of a godly impact. Any believer may spend years spreading the Gospel in their circle of influence through word and deed, yet be discouraged by a lack of obvious fruit.
I know I’ve felt that way about my blog at times throughout the last year.
When I started this project, I knew that God was prompting me to use my writing abilities purposefully to reach other people. Since then, I’ve spent a lot of time writing, learning more about blogging, and, most importantly, study God’s Word and learning to teach it rightly.
I know that this is what I’m supposed to be doing, and I've been personally blessed by how consistent writing about God's Word. It has stretched my abilities and my faith. Still, I can’t always perceive how my writing impacts other people. I’m often tempted to judge my success based on my audience size or how many comments I get, and I become discouraged to the point that I wonder if I should keep going. I doubt that I am making a difference.
What about you?
You might not be a writer, but you may face similar discouragement in your own ministry or area of influence. Pastors and other church leaders may be tempted to judge their success solely by the number of people that their church baptizes in a year, overlooking the important (and somewhat unmeasurable) task of helping existing believers to mature and deepen their relationship with Christ. A mom might try to measure the quality of her mothering by how many fits her child throws in a day and feel like a failure, losing sight of his steadily growing love for the Lord.
We will become discouraged when we expect the Gospel seeds we plant to sprout up instantly. That’s just not the way it works. When faced with that temptation, these three encouraging truths can give us hope to press forward: God promises a harvest to faithful sewers, we are a part of the Body of Christ, and God’s Word always fulfills His purpose.
God Promises a Harvest to Faithful Sowers
And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up.
Galatians 6:9
In Galatians 6:9, Paul reminded the Galatian believers that they would reap a harvest from their good works, but in due season.
Where I live, pumpkins are not usually harvested in April, and strawberries don’t ripen in December. Seeds also don’t become fully mature plants overnight. As Paul exhorted the Galatians, we also must not grow weary and give up on the seeds we are planting! As we share the Gospel with unbelievers or dig into it with those who already know Christ, we must wait patiently to see the fruit of our labor. In due time, the fruit will appear. God promises that there will be a harvest when believers are faithfully sowing the Gospel in word and deed.
We Are a Part of the Body of Christ
For as in one body we have many members, and the members do not all have the same function, so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another.
Romans 12:4-5
When we feel like our impact for God’s Kingdom is too small to be significant, we should be encouraged by the fact that we are just one small part of the global Church. We are not individually responsible for accomplishing God’s work in the world! It’s too big a task for one person.
The family of God is also strengthened by the contributions of each individual member. No one person or their gifting is insignificant. This is one reason why it’s so important for believers not just to attend and be members of their local church, but to serve there as well! We must also continue to work diligently in the ministries we have outside the walls of our local churches: in our homes, workplaces, and communities. Individuals matter because their contributions benefit the entire body of Christ, even when they appear small.
God’s Word Always Fulfills His Purpose
“For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven
and do not return there but water the earth,
making it bring forth and sprout,
giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater,
so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth;
it shall not return to me empty,
but it shall accomplish that which I purpose,
and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it.”
Isaiah 55:10-11
Only the Holy Spirit can produce faith in the unbeliever and maturity in a believer. We are responsible for serving and sharing God’s Word with those in our sphere of influence, but God is always sovereign over the outcome. Our words and actions, and we will be held accountable for them, but God produces the result. He will accomplish His will in His own way and time, without fail. Remember, His strength is made perfect in our weakness, so even when we feel like utter failures in our ministries, He will fill us with His strength to His own glory.
Reflecting back on exactly one year of this blog, I know that a few people have been encouraged by what I’ve written. If it’s God’s will, I would love for the audience of this blog to expand so that it can encourage more and more people to grow in their love for Jesus. That’s my hope, but I know that God is sovereign over the harvest. I have just a small part to play in the work of the global church, and that’s okay. The fruit that comes from my writing will grow according to God’s perfect will. That’s enough to keep me writing.
I hope that you, too, will press forward without growing weary of the ministry God has called you to. Whether you serve God as an office worker, a teacher, a ministry leader, or a mom, your contribution to God's kingdom will be significant if you keep your eyes on Christ and obey Him.
Respond
Do you ever feel like your contributions to God’s Kingdom don’t make a difference? How do you fight discouragement in your ministry at home, your workplace, your church, or in your community? Are there any scripture passages that encourage you when you doubt that what you're doing matters?
