S196P1 – Growth spurts: resolve

Gal. 6:9

Let us not grow weary or become discouraged in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap, if we do not give in.

Our little church had suffered quite a few blows over the years.  During my 10 or so years there, the congregation dwindled in size even though it never had been that large.  The first blow was the loss of our pastors, which ushered in a season of several years during which the elders and other members bore the load of leading and maintaining the church.  Eventually, a new pastor came on board, but his tenure would last only three or so years.  When he and his family left the congregation, many members also went looking for a new church because they simply could not endure the transition again.  Then, in only the first few weeks of our newly downsized congregation, a new soul would walk through those doors and give her life to Christ, solidifying our reason for remaining there.

God wants his children to be resolute in their mission regardless of circumstances or appearances.  He gives us jobs of all sizes and various degrees of importance which may seem like impossibilities, but we are not to focus on what we think we see.  Our limited vision and knowledge can trip us up and make us think that we know everything we need to know to conclude that the goal will not be met.  God, however, sees all.  It is his vision to which we should cling in those moments.  If He has ordained it, then we must continue to proclaim and work toward the promise we know to be true no matter how tough the road gets.  It is through these difficult times that we grow in our resolve to keep pursuing the things of God in the face of that which works to discourage us.

The resolve to continue on that straight and narrow road regardless of what comes up against us is not something acquired in an instant.  It is a characteristic that is built and honed in us over time.  It starts with the small challenges and progresses to bigger and more formidable obstacles.  The hope is that we become more and more resolute over time, that we get to the place at which we say yes to God in all things.  That is the kind of resolve that He wants to build in us because that is the kind of resolve his Son showed during his time here.  Father, we ask for your Spirit to encourage us when we feel discouraged and to strengthen us when we feel too weak to continue on that road.